


Bad Dog III

by DaniJayNel



Series: Bad Dog [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, F/F, Multi Chapter, Werewolves, sequel to Bad Dog II, weredogs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 00:51:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5765404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniJayNel/pseuds/DaniJayNel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Strange videos appear on YouTube of 'werewolves', ending up on the news and in the public eye. The hunters and druids are forced into action, because the existence of werekind is no longer a secret. Krista is tangled up in the middle of it, pregnant, deeply in love, and somehow now the leader of all lycanthropes on earth. Short sequel to BDII</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Krista turned over onto her other side, away from Ymir, and squeezed her eyes tightly. Sleep would not come so easily, and Ymir certainly wasn’t helping the fact. Eventually Krista whipped around, a growl warming in her chest, and sat up to regard Ymir with a fierce glare.

“Can you seriously not?” she growled.

Ymir’s eyes flicked to hers, then her brows furrowed. “Am I keeping you awake, babe?”

Krista sighed and settled down, trying to situate her body so that her swollen belly wasn’t in the way. “Yes,” she snapped. “Obviously.” The bright light from Ymir’s laptop, which was perched on her lap, stabbed right into Krista’s eyeballs. She needed the engulfing blackness of night to really enjoy a deep sleep, but with Ymir’s laptop illuminating everything, that wasn’t possible. “What are you doing anyway?”

Ymir scooted a little closer and turned the laptop towards Krista. “Baby names,” she explained.

“You’re googling names for our baby?”

“Yeah.”

Krista felt her irritation melt away to amusement. She decided not to be upset with Ymir anymore, and curled up closely against Ymir’s side. Almost immediately Ymir’s left hand went to her belly, where their baby slept soundly, safe, healthy and growing.

“What have you found so far?”

Ymir pressed a kiss to her forehead and left her hand where it was, even though that made scrolling on the laptop a little awkward. She managed somehow. “Well, I found these so far.” There was an open document, with a short list of names. Most of them were gender neutral.

“Birgitte… Arkyn… Avery…” Krista squinted. “Brigitte? Really?”

Ymir shrugged, then shut the laptop and set it down on the bedside table. Krista moved with her until they were settled and cuddling in the most comfortable position they could manage. “Just a few names to consider.”

“You are not naming this baby.”

Ymir lifted a brow. “I think I have a right to at least try.”

Krista laughed outright, then lifted her head to stare Ymir in the face. “This baby is coming out of _my_ body, Ymir. I think I can handle giving them a name.”

A stupid little grin took Ymir’s mouth. “Well, technically this baby came out of _me_ first.”

Krista gasped when the meaning dawned on her, then she slapped Ymir’s shoulder and laughed. “Idiot.”

Ymir laughed with her. She pressed a kiss to Krista’s brow. “Sorry for keeping you up, love. I’m just so…”

“Excited?”

Ymir’s hand wondered down to Krista’s tummy again, covering the firm roundness. There was a gentle kick there, and the both of them stilled to wait for another. When there was another flutter—Ymir could feel it easily—both of them sighed in content.

“I can’t wait to meet them,” Krista said softly, reverent. Her hands both covered Ymir’s, and the two of them simply relaxed and bathed in the still night air, enjoyed the way their heartbeats thudded together, how their skin was warm.

Ymir smiled. “Me too, Krista.” She couldn’t resist the urge to press her cheek to Krista’s, as if she was a werecat and not a weredog, and smiled when Krista responded by producing an odd purr-like sound in her chest. “You’re adorable. I love you.”

“Love you too,” Krista breathed. She turned slightly to press a kiss to Ymir’s lips, and then settled her backside against Ymir’s front, perfectly fitted and warm, and relaxed.

Ymir nuzzled against her shoulder, scattering light kisses there until Krista couldn’t hold on any longer, and fell asleep.

XxX

Ymir woke up first and decided to start breakfast before Krista roused after her. The morning air was crisp and clean, and she inhaled deeply as she slipped on a shirt—nothing else—and trotted into the kitchen. Outside of the window a bird chirped happily, its babies responding in kind, eager for their morning meal. Ymir began to hum as she pulled out a pan, a few utensils and the food ingredients that she would need. Along the way she switched the large plasma TV on, and it blinked quietly to life where it sat above the doorway. Ymir only needed to glance casually over her shoulder to see that it was on a news channel, but she paid the visuals no mind and simply listened.

“… _and the report states that this woman changed into a giant animal,”_ the anchor-man announced, scoffing. “ _Can you believe that_?” Ymir immediately paused in mixing the pancake batter to turn and watch.

“ _To be fair, Frank, there has been a recent announcement that these are actually people, not fiction.”_

“ _Seriously, Jody?”_ Frank asked, incredulous. “ _When did this happen?”_

Ymir wondered the same thing. She hadn’t known that humans knew about her kind, or any other kind, for that matter. Her understanding was that the druids were to make sure humans never discovered the other species, to keep the peace and to prevent panic. Humans were weak creatures, often fuelled by their fear, especially of the unknown.

_“Due to many incidents like this, Frank, a group calling themselves druids have made an announcement that werewolves live among us.”_

Frank scoffed, and shook his head at the camera. The third anchor-man, who had yet to comment, seemed more amused than anything. He didn’t believe it at all.

 _“I won’t believe it till I see it, Jody,”_ Frank said, laughing.

“ _Well Frank, all you’d need to do is YouTube it.”_

Ymir rolled her eyes and switched the TV off. She was curious enough, though, to leave the stove and retrieve her laptop from the bedroom. Krista was still sleeping soundly, hands at her belly, face at peace. Ymir spared her a smile, and then returned to the kitchen.

She opened up her desktop, then clicked on the shortcut for Google Chrome. From there she went to YouTube, typed in a few words and then waited. Ymir was surprised to see a number of videos ranging from ‘werewolf attacks’ to ‘look, my friend turns into a huge dog!’ She scoffed, turned towards the stove and did three pancakes before her curiosity bit her again and she finally clicked on one of the videos.

A group of teens sat around a park, all surrounding one that was taller than them. It was a boy, probably no older than sixteen. He didn’t look nervous, and in fact looked eager to show them his wild side. The camera shook greatly as the boy began to undress, and some of the kids began to giggle. They stopped very quickly when the boy shifted in a burst of steam, and then they went absolutely silent before the yelling began. The camera jostled around, some of the kids leapt up to get away or to get closer, and then the video ended. Ymir bit her lip.

“Dumbasses,” she muttered, putting the laptop aside for good. She finished the pancakes, plated and coated them, and then made a cup of tea. She placed everything on a tray and then headed back to the bedroom. Krista was just sitting up, rubbing at her eyes. She yawned, stretched her back until something clicked back into place, and then opened her lovely blue eyes to look up at Ymir.

“Morning,” she greeted sluggishly. “Breakfast in bed again?”

Ymir smirked. “What kind of mate would I be if I didn’t treat you to breakfast in bed every morning?” She placed the tray down over Krista’s lap, and then sat down and drew her in for a much needed kiss. When they parted, Krista stroked a finger along Ymir’s jaw. She was pink in the face, her lips pulled back in a smile. Her teeth were out, sharp and dangerous, and the sight of them made Ymir shiver.

“Thank you. You’ve been so sweet.”

Ymir stretched out on the bed and ate her share from the tray as Krista did the same. “Well,” she started, “I did knock you up, and you were picking plenty of fights with me. So I figured, buy a nice place somewhere remote, then take my lovely mate there for a break.”

Krista rolled her eyes and reached out to pat Ymir on the hip. “I know I’ve been difficult.”

“You have a baby growing inside you. I can understand a little grouchiness.”

Krista smiled.

Ymir had surprised her by having a vacation cabin built out in the woods, somewhere people didn’t usually visit, so that they could escape for a few weeks and enjoy the freedom of changing whenever they wanted. They had been at the cabin for five weeks already, and Ymir had tried her utmost to give Krista the royal treatment. Considering the mess they had managed to survive, it was needed. Quite a few months had passed since the lycan ordeal, but it had still been a present issue in their lives, reminding them of past pains and irritations. Krista hadn’t needed the stress of those memories during her pregnancy, so Ymir had decided to simply ship them off somewhere. Not even Nanaba knew exactly where they were, only that they were safe, and they were happy.

“Hey, did you see that thing on the news?” Ymir piped up, mouth full with half chewed pancake.

“Ew, you pig. Swallow first. And no, I haven’t.”

“That’s what she said.” Ymir snickered. “There’s this new werewolf craze going around. Apparently some kids have been posting a bunch of stuff on the internet, and humans too, of our kinds. It must have been serious, because they said the druids have announced our presence.”

Krista furrowed her brows. “That’s really odd. We should call Adrian and ask him about it.”

“Think it really is something serious?”

Krista set the tray aside and pulled Ymir over to her so that she could kiss her. “Could be, I don’t know. If it really turns out to be a big mess, then I’d rather not go home.”

Ymir nodded. “I feel you, babe.”

Krista stroked Ymir’s cheek, and then scooted to the edge of the bed and climbed onto her feet. “I think I need a shower. And then a run. You joining me?”

Ymir was at her side immediately. One thing Ymir was grateful for, was that Krista could still change while pregnant, and that it was actually encouraged. It was something about a chemical released when the change happened, that was good for the growing baby. So they ran as often as possible, though Krista was always careful not to overdo it.

“I feel so huge like this,” Krista sighed, staring down at her naked body and swollen belly.

“But you’re still beautiful.” Ymir went to her and pressed a kiss to her neck, then her shoulder, and then wrapped her up in a hug. “Breathtakingly beautiful.”

Krista sighed. “You’re amazing. Come on, let’s shower. I feel an itch that needs scratching.” When Ymir’s hands went to Krista’s backside, she laughed and playfully slapped her hands away. “Not that kind of itch, Ymir.”

Ymir laughed and joined her in the shower. “You’ll need that one taken care of soon too, anyway.”

“No I will not.”

“Krista,” Ymir grabbed her gently by the shoulders. “Your sexual appetite scares me.”

Krista smiled in satisfaction. “Good.”

The shower was pleasant, and afterward they took a short run through the woods, still damp from the shower water. When they returned, they felt cleaner than when they had left, despite having sweated a little. Ymir immediately went to get Krista a snack, and then afterward she did their dishes while Krista lingered close by, simply watching her and enjoying her presence. She did the same when Ymir did their washing and cleaned their room, and then they retired to the lounge to continue watching the series they had paused the previous day.

This was nice—doing nothing but enjoying each other, the peace and quiet.

“You know,” Ymir spoke up during the episode. “Watching this makes me hungry.”

Krista gave Ymir a disturbed look. “He eats people, Ymir.”

“Technically what he eats are humans, and I’m not human.”

“Technically the idea is still gross.”

“Survival of the fittest, babe.”

Krista shook her head. “First Dexter, now this. You sure you aren’t a serial killer in disguise?”

Ymir pretended to think about it. She enjoyed the way Krista’s lips pulled up in a smile, the way the skin at the corners of her eyes crinkled up slightly. Her blue eyes were darker, more intense. They had been growing more so the closer Krista came to the eventual birth of their first child, and it was just one of the many things Ymir was loving. The eyes, the insatiable desire, the mood swings—yes, she enjoyed even those—and the incredible attachment. Krista hated leaving her side, even when Ymir did something as lame as take the trash out. Krista even accompanied her down to the town an hour away when they needed to restock on food. It was nice to have her there all the time.

“Wait a few years and maybe you’ll find out,” Ymir joked. She laughed when Krista simply sighed and turned away to continue watching. The great Mr Hannibal was on his way to consume a freshly fried human lung when Krista suddenly sat up, a hand at her belly and her face creased in discomfort.

“What’s wrong?” Ymir asked, worried.

“I need to change,” Krista hurried. She stood and threw her clothes off, and then changed in the middle of the lounge. Afterward she sighed, and then she settled down onto her side and released a long, huffy breath.

“Um…” Ymir stared, not sure what to do. “Is everything okay?”

_Don’t worry Ymir, it’s still too early for labour. I’ve still got at least another two months. I just got the sudden intense urge to change, is all. I think the baby changed._

Ymir quickly slipped out of her clothes and changed as well. She curled up around Krista and gently licked the side of her face. _You sure you’re okay?_

_Yeah, thank you though._

_Adrian did mention that this might happen. The baby needs to change a few times before birth, to develop properly, or something._

_Yeah. You up for a nap?_

Ymir rubbed her face against Krista’s, and then settled down with her head resting on her paws. _I love naps._

Krista exhaled through her nose, swished her tail once and then rested as well. She was asleep almost too quickly, and Ymir decided to watch her for a bit before she tried to sleep as well. It still amazed her how black Krista’s fur was. She wondered what colour their baby’s fur would be—blonde, brown or black? She also wondered many other things about their baby, and fell asleep with questions on her tongue.

XxX

Raiden’s stomach fluttered with nerves as she neared Alphard’s detention room. There was only one guard accompanying her this time, opposed to the usual number of two. It made her feel slightly more at ease, which made the whole nervous ordeal easier. Raiden hated driving down to the hunter HQ, signing in as a visitor and then walking down the long corridor towards where her sister was being detained.

It had been nearly a year and a half since she had been arrested, and she was still awaiting a proper trial. Due to the rest of her pack escaping, the hunters had decided to keep her around in case they returned, or in case she remembered something useful. It also helped that Raiden knew Dante, and that Dante actually cared.

“You get one hour,” the guard informed, lifting a key-card to unlock the bolt on the door. She then placed her palm against a scanner, and then the light at the panel turned green and the door clicked open. “Be careful. I will be just outside the door.”

Raiden nodded. She knew this already, of course. They still informed her every time, as if her short stay away had made her forget. She supposed it was simply mandatory, and she was at least grateful that the guard didn’t insist on entering the room with her, like they had in the beginning. It took a while until Alphard was trusted not to harm Raiden, and even then, the guards were on high alert.

“Thanks,” she said, smiling nervously before stepping into the room. The door shut behind her, and then the bolt slid into the slot, locking with a definite clank.

Alphard was on the floor, doing what looked to be the last stretch of her work-out. She didn’t immediately stop when Raiden entered, and only after choking out a breathless “one hundred” did she drop onto her back, jump to her feet and then grab for her nearby towel.

“You’re up to a hundred now?” Raiden asked. She never really knew how to start these meetings, but found that random conversation usually worked.

“Yup. There’s nothing else to do here, might as well work on my body. How’s life?”

Raiden grinned and dropped down onto the nearby desk chair. Luckily Alphard lived decently, in a room that was furnished and clean. There was a bed, desk with a chair, a TV mounted to the wall and a bathroom. The hunters were definitely one thing—kind.

“Berik’s decided to start going to college. I don’t understand him, but eh, whatever he wants. Nanaba is obsessed with her kid, and Ymir is still M.I.A with Krista.”

Alphard started pulling her clothes off as she headed for the shower. “How old is their kid anyway?” she asked.

Raiden waited for the sound of the shower to fill the room, and then she sank down into the chair and got comfortable. “She’ll be two in a couple of months.”

“Ah, kids grow so fast.”

Raiden smiled. “She started calling me Aunt Rai. It’s so cute because she can barely even speak.”

Alphard chuckled, and then the shower switched off and a moment later she emerged, clad in clean clothes and her hair wet. “That’s nice. Can’t imagine having kids of my own, though.” She dropped down onto her bed and then sighed, most likely content from her exercising.

“Me too.”

Alphard shot Raiden a look. “Rude,” she muttered.

“What? You’re a hardass. The poor kid would be terrified of you.”

At that Alphard released a genuine laugh. “Nah, in truth I’d be terrified of them.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d love them, and that’ll make me vulnerable.”

Raiden rolled her eyes. She decided that the conversation would derail if they kept to the current topic. “So did you see those YouTube videos that have been on the news lately?”

Alphard shrugged. “Only briefly on the news. Is it really turning into a big thing?”

Raiden nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “Adrian has been pretty stressed out. He retired from being an official druid, but now they’re calling him back to have him help with this.”

“Huh, interesting. The druids were always good for one thing—keeping us a secret. Guess they lost their edge.”

“Well, I think it is much more difficult now with the internet and smartphones.”

“A job is a job, and they had one. Which they didn’t do.”

“I don’t know, I think this is an interesting development. Maybe we won’t have to hide anymore.”

Alphard scoffed. “Maybe they’ll start dissecting us.”

Raiden sighed, but Alphard was grinning, so she laughed. “Any news on your trial?”

Alphard’s grin dropped. “Nothing yet. They still interrogate me about Liache, but I really don’t know where she is.”

Raiden studied Alphard’s face for a long moment, and then deduced that she was telling the truth. It had taken over a year to really get to know her, to tell what she was thinking or feeling, and if she was lying or not. Raiden was confident now in her ability to tell if Alphard was being honest. She was.

“Do you think you’ll ever hear from her again?”

Alphard sat up, and her gaze pierced through Raiden’s soul. She frowned deeply, then shrugged. “No. I really doubt it.”

“And you don’t think she has anything to do with this sudden exposure?”

Alphard lazily stretched her arms as she considered. “There’s a slight possibility,” she decided. “But everything looks too clean and there’s too little panic. If it was Liache, it would be all about the violence and the murder.”

“You sure?”

Alphard snorted. “You here to interrogate me too, little sister?”

Raiden’s chest warmed at the nickname. Alphard didn’t use it too often, but when she did it was significant. Her eyes had softened too, and Raiden wished that she could rush forward and give her a hug. Instead she simply smiled, happy that they had come this far already.

“Never,” she said. “I’m here because I want to be.”

Alphard smiled, too.

XxX

Ymir shut the fridge, sighing. “Krista?” she called.

“Yeah?”

“We’re out of milk and eggs.”

Krista padded softly into the kitchen. When Ymir looked up at her, she smiled widely. Krista wore loose pyjamas, though her pregnant belly was still obvious. Her hair was messy and swept to one side. “Do we need to drive out to town again?”

Ymir nodded. “I’ll leave now.”

“Let me just change.” Krista headed to their bedroom, not leaving any space for Ymir to argue.

Ymir simply chuckled and then grabbed their coats by the cabin’s front door. Krista didn’t take too long, and joined Ymir’s side. Ymir immediately placed the coat over her shoulders, and then kissed her once softly on the lips.

“Ready?”

Krista took Ymir’s hand and grinned. “We’re just going to the store,” she pointed out, rolling her eyes.

Ymir laughed. They headed out to the car, glad that it wasn’t too cold an evening. There were still clouds in the sky, covering most of the stars, but the moon was out and bright. The drive started out quiet at first, Ymir simply holding onto Krista’s hand, thinking about their baby, as she usually did.  

“How are you feeling?”

Krista shifted in her seat. “Fine. The baby’s been relaxed today.”

“That’s great. What should we have for dinner?”

“Hmm, since we’re in town, why not get takeaways?”

Ymir gave Krista an unimpressed look. “Babe.”

“What?”

“No junk food, remember?”

“I don’t mean pizza,” Krista shot back, rolling her eyes. “I saw a Chinese restaurant last time we drove in.”

Ymir pondered on it, then shrugged. “Alright, sounds good.”

They settled into silence again. The road was quiet and deserted, making Ymir grip the steering wheel just a little too tightly. She wasn’t sure why, but her stomach suddenly tightened and she lifted her foot slightly from the gas pedal.

“Ymir?” Krista noted Ymir’s sudden distress, and felt the car slow down slightly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Ymir dismissed. She didn’t want to mention anything yet, because her protective instincts were probably just making her paranoid, but still, the pulling sensation wouldn’t leave her stomach. She finally decided to give in to it, and pulled the car to a full stop.

“Ymir?”

“Ssh.”

Around them nature made noise, wind swept along the car and small droplets of rain began to pelt against the car’s windshield. Ymir didn’t have to strain her eyes to see into the trees around them, even though the water made the glass a bit blurry.

“Ymir,” Krista whispered, voice almost a choked whisper. “Lycans.”

Ymir’s head whipped around, and then she finally smelt them. Krista must have smelt them before her. They stepped out onto the road, a huge group. They were tall—though not as tall as Krista’s lycan form—and their eyes glowed deeply in the dark. Ymir heard the faint sound of their claws scraping against the tar road, and the huffs as they exhaled past thin lips and sharp, jagged teeth. They weren’t surrounding the car, but they did pause to stare. One of them, a small grey one, lifted their head and sniffed at the air. They then huffed at the others and scratched the ground, and all eyes snapped towards Krista.

Krista started growling, probably without realizing it. Ymir pulled her hand away when Krista’s grip began to hurt, and then she watched as Krista’s eyes changed, glowed, and she bared her teeth for the other lycans to see. There was a sudden overwhelming pressure inside of the car, and Ymir knew immediately that it was Krista’s ability. She could resist it enough to remain straight in the seat, but the lycans couldn’t. They whimpered and cried out, in shock and disbelief, like puppies caught off guard. Some jogged away before the pressure became too much for them, while the others simply succumbed and bowed.

 _We wish you no harm,_ a gruff voice entered their minds. _We are simply travelling to the city._

 _Why?_ Krista’s voice enquired, full of power and authority. Her body was rigid and stiff, shoulders pulled back and chin high. Ymir momentarily worried about their baby.

 _We were summoned by the hunters,_ another spoke up.

Krista relented slightly and the pressure eased, but not enough for the group to gather and stand straight. _Why?_

_We do not know._

_But it is of utmost importance,_ a third one added.

_You and your mate should join us. The hunters called for the attention of each and every cynan, lycan and druid in the world._

“In the world?” Ymir sputtered. Her voice shattered the silence, startling the wolves enough that they took a step back. They were becoming restless, and one or two had already started trotting down the road, where they had originally been headed.

_Each one. They have promised a reward to those that listen to what they have to say, but only if they travel to the city to meet with them._

Ymir was uncomfortable, and she could tell that Krista was as well. Surely using her ability so fully wasn’t too healthy for the baby, and apparently they agreed. Krista’s ability ceased completely and she wrapped her arms around her belly.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I won’t do that again, I promise.”

“What happened?” Ymir asked.

“The baby just startled.”

“How do you know?”

Krista sighed, but her eyes were soft when they turned to Ymir. Apparently she had deduced that the lycan group still loitering outside, unsure if they could leave or not, weren’t a threat. Ymir herself was impressed by how civil they were being. So far no one had called her a mutt, or insulted Krista for her choice in a mating partner.

“She speaks to me, sometimes.”

Ymir’s eyes widened.

 _Can we go?_ a lycan asked. _We will disappear quickly._

Krista chuckled softly. “Go,” she told them out loud. “Just don’t attack anyone on your way.”

The lycan ducked their head low, then straightened fully and performed the odd sight of a lycan grin. It never worked, and it only looked frightening, but it was still amusing and sort of sweet. And then they were off, howling happily into the night, feet thumping on the ground.

Ymir exhaled and relaxed. “Before we discuss that… Her?”

Krista flushed with happiness. “I don’t know how but… I just…”

“You can just tell, can’t you?”

“Yeah. I knew early on. I didn’t want to tell you, since you wanted to be surprised, but…”

Ymir quickly took Krista’s hands, kissed them. “No, this is fine! I would be happy either way, honest. So we’re having a little girl?”

“Yeah.”

“And she talks to you?”

“Not words, since she hasn’t learnt them yet. She sends me emotions. Like just now, she was frightened because I was.”

Ymir’s chest clenched tightly, and her breath washed right out of her. Warmth rushed up at her, turning her cheeks pink, and she couldn’t resist the urge to smile like a huge dork. “That’s so cute.” She leaned down and pressed a hand to Krista’s stomach. “Can you hear me?” she said softly, lovingly.

Out of nowhere Ymir felt a rush of something—warmth and softness. It almost felt like the emotional equivalent of a smile, of a hug. It made no sense to explain it using words, but Ymir knew that their baby had just spoken to her.

“We’re connected too,” she wondered aloud. “This is really amazing.”

Krista laughed at Ymir, putting a hand on her cheek to push her away. “Gush later, Ymir. We need to turn around.”

Ymir furrowed her brows. “Why?”

Krista rolled her eyes. “Those lycans, remember? Something is up. We should call Adrian and find out.”

Ymir sucked in a breath, suddenly remembering what had just happened. Milk and eggs no longer seemed so important. They could go early the next morning, anyway. “Right,” she said, reversing and then turning the car to drive back the way they had come. “You really think those lycans aren’t a threat?”

“That’s the thing that doesn’t make sense,” Krista responded, furrowing her brows. “They had not one bad intention. They were really just curious and confused, and they didn’t care about you at all.”

“Odd.”

Krista nodded shortly, but Ymir could tell that it was bothering her more than she let on. So she kept quiet and drove on until they returned to their little cabin home.

XxX

Krista had just let Ymir take her coat off to hang it when the cabin’s telephone began to ring. Ymir headed to their room to grab their pyjamas while Krista went for the phone. Her stomach tingled strangely before she picked it up.

“Krista?” It was Nanaba. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”

Krista exhaled loudly. “No, not at all. We just got home.”

“From? I thought Ymir said you’re out in the wilderness somewhere.”

“There’s a small town an hour out,” Krista explained, smartly keeping the name of that town to herself. She could almost feel Nanaba’s hope that she would slip and actually mention it. “We ran out of milk and eggs, so we headed out to get that and dinner as well.”

“Sounds like an adventure.”

“Turns out it was, actually. Listen, I was just about to call anyway. On our way we ran into a huge group of wolves.”

Nanaba inhaled sharply. “Are you alright?”

“I used my ability, but I didn’t really need to. They were fine. Nice, actually. They said the hunters have summoned everyone. What’s going on?”

“Ah, so you both aren’t as isolated as you hoped, huh?”

“Nanaba, should we come home?”

Krista heard the sound of giggling over the line and grinned to herself, knowing exactly who those giggles belonged to. Nanaba disappeared from the phone for a moment, and Krista listened to her deep laughter and then loud squealing and hurried footsteps. Once the noise faded, Nanaba returned, panting.

“She won’t get dressed, Krista,” Nanaba groaned. “Petra is chasing her right now. The kid loves being naked almost as much as Ymir does.”

“As much as I what?” Ymir asked, dropping down onto the couch beside Krista.

“I’ll tell you later,” Krista mouthed. “That’s so cute,” she said louder into the phone. “I miss your cute offspring.”

“And not us? Ouch.”

“Oh boo, you know we miss you and Petra too. We just needed alone time.”

“And how was it?”

Krista sighed, happy. “Good. We’ve been calmer, happier. Being here made us forget about the strange, chaotic world we live in, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. I would have gone too, if I had the chance. But with my daughter here, and Petra…”

Krista hummed. “You’ve got responsibilities there.”

“Did Nanaba mention about what’s going on?” Ymir asked, pulling Krista closer and then tugging at her clothes. Krista nodded, allowing Ymir to slowly dress her. Ymir often did things like this for her, and it was sweet. To answer Ymir’s question, Krista shook her head.

“Anyway,” Nanaba said. “Adrian did mention that we would need you back sometime soon. Really soon, actually. I think he said, ‘Krista has a place here, and with everything moving so quickly, we’ll need her more than ever’, or something.”

“I’ll speak to Ymir and see when we can drive back.”

“I’m sorry, Krista. Adrian said he’d like to talk to you as soon as you’re back.”

“Okay, I’ll make sure we stop by him first. Give your little one a kiss for me, and tell Petra that I send my love.”

“Will do. We send our love too. Enjoy the evening, and please, if anything happens don’t be afraid to give me a call. I’ll run wherever you need me to, promise.”

“Thank you, Nanaba,” Krista said, meaning it. She smiled.

“A pleasure. Goodnight.”

Krista said her farewell, then she sighed. She had a very bad feeling about the whole ordeal. She didn’t need this now, not with the birth crawling ever closer, not with Ymir being so sweet, so gentle. Krista had a guess as to what they would need her for, but decided not to mention anything on it quite yet. Ymir had just finished helping her into her shirt—mindful of her belly—and then they settled together on the couch, wrapped up by blankets. Ymir switched the TV on, but Krista blocked it out.

She had a feeling their peaceful days were over, yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Bad Dog is back! What do you guys think is going on? What could the hunters possibly want with all the cynans, lycans and druids in the world? Thanks so much for reading! I’m so happy to be delving back into this particular AU. Man, I missed it.


	2. Chapter 2

As they had promised, before even heading home, Ymir and Krista stopped by Adrian’s shop. He greeted them with a very warm smile, and switched his kettle on for some tea while he ushered them up into his little flat.

“How is the baby?” he asked.

Krista returned his smile in full, grateful that he was so polite. “She’s doing fine, thank you.”

Adrian lifted a brow. “And the holiday? Did it do any good?”

“We didn’t want to come back,” Ymir grumbled at Krista’s side.

“But things sounded serious,” Krista hurried. She pressed a hand to Ymir’s leg, gently stroking circles there with her thumb. She felt a wave of warmth wash over her, and leaned closer to Ymir’s side to bask in it. “What’s going on, Adrian?”

Adrian sighed deeply. His grey hair seemed thinner, lighter. There were even more wrinkles on his already wrinkled face, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “In the modern age, shifters have been a shakily held secret. When I left the druids, there was already panic that the other kinds would be easily revealed to humans.”

“How long ago was that?” Krista asked. Ymir had started playing with her hair, but she stopped when there was a soft flutter at Krista’s stomach, and pressed her hand there to feel it.

“Twenty-five years ago,” he confessed. “I left them to raise Liache and Nanaba. They never did approve, of a druid raising a cynan and a lycan.”

Krista furrowed her brows. “You never really explained it, but, what are the druids really?”

Adrian chuckled. From the kitchen the kettle went silent, so he hurried to make their tea and brought an old book back with him when he served the cups. “The druids,” he began. “Were the early magic users. Some of them used that magic to turn themselves into wolves, and you know how that particular story unfolded. In response to the creation of lycans and cynans, the remaining magic wielders formed a group—druids. They banded together and swore an oath to snuff magic out, and use only the most essentials for human consumption. They stripped the shifters of their magic, but the damage to their biology had already been done. They promised to leave shifters alone, so long as normal humans did not find out about them. These druids then worked very hard at covering up the very existence of magic, of their order and your kinds.”

Ymir seemed to take an actual interest in the story, because she looked away from Krista’s belly and was fixing Adrian with a serious stare. “The druids have survived to this day, too?”

“Yes,” he answered. “But we’ve thinned out greatly. With the emergence of technology, magic has become somewhat of an unnecessary risk. Most of the useful spells have already been forgotten. What the druids then became, was the hunters.”

“But aren’t the hunters a group of every kind?”

“Precisely, but they were strictly human to begin with. We were left with a single elder druid council, and then their apprentices, the early hunters. Magic has been so inbred in the hunter training that most of them aren’t even ware that they’re using the old magic.”

“And I assume this has been a closely guarded secret?” Krista spoke up.

“It has. But now the elder council have been reformed, and they seemed to be exceptionally anxious that them, as well as shifters, will be exposed. With human technology the way it is, it’s a frightening prospect if the reception is anything but curious.”

“How long as this been going on? The videos? The witnesses?”

Adrian shrugged. “Since the beginning of it all. One thing difficult to elude, is human curiosity. Simply have a look at today’s young adult media—rampant with werewolf fiction. It’s become socially popular to either want to sleep with a werewolf, or be one.”

“Team Jacob for sure,” Krista whispered. She giggled when Ymir elbowed her side, rolling her eyes. “Sorry,” she said to Adrian. “I know this is serious, but I don’t want to worry too much. The baby doesn’t like it.”

Adrian smiled. “I understand. And that brings me to the real reason we need you, Krista.”

“Great,” Ymir huffed, shoulders sagging. “If you say it’s some kind of bloodline responsibility…”

Adrian winced. “Unfortunately…”

Krista sighed and pressed a palm to her cheek. “What is it? Just tell me straight out. I can handle it.”

“Well…” Adrian sighed and took a long sip of his tea before he finally opened the book he had at his side, and pointed at the heading. “You’re the Reiss heir, Krista,” he stated. On the page was a sketch of a young woman, somewhat around Krista’s build, dressed in royal garb and staring pensively at whoever was sketching her. “So the responsibility falls to you. I can’t think of anyone else who could claim the seat so easily.”

“Claim the seat? What seat?” Krista’s voice wavered now, with nerves and confusion. She didn’t like the sound of this, not one bit.

“I figured I’d tell you before they officially visited you, Krista. They have formed an allied species council. All seats have been taken, all but one—the lycan’s.”

Krista knew that her gaze must have been too harsh, because Adrian looked away very quickly. The atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. “You want me to take that seat?”

“Not me,” he hurried. “I was simply told that it was already decided by the other council members. A representative should meet with you soon, with the official letter.”

“Is there any way for me to decline? I’m pregnant, for god’s sake.”

Adrian shook his head. “That, I’m afraid, is something you and the council members will need to speak about.”

Krista felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Ymir giving her a tender look. “Let’s go home, love,” she told her. “Relax and think it over. When they come, maybe we’ll have an answer for them.”

Krista eagerly agreed. She knew that both Ymir and their baby could feel her stress and anger, so she allowed Ymir to pull her gently from Adrian’s shop. He said his farewell, promising that if they needed any other information, that he would be an open book. He even promised to break his druid’s word and share secrets with them.

Krista was glad, at least, that she loved Adrian. Otherwise she wasn’t sure she would have been able to keep her temper so in check.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can I confess that I have no idea what I'm doing with BDIII and it's both thrilling and terrifying. I mean, I've got the general idea down, but it's very general, and I'm filling in the blanks as I go. #noplanatall


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates might stop for a while! I've recently moved (yay finally) and I don't have the Wi-Fi set up yet. Have no idea when that'll happen. So I'll update whenever I somehow manage to grab some internet. Don't stress, though, I will definitely still continuously write the chapters. One every three days. So If I don't get internet for a while, when I do, there will be a few chapters at once. Thanks so much for reading, and I'd love to hear any questions or comments that you have! Suggestions are more than welcome too.

It felt a little odd being back, after the peace they had lived with out by their cabin. The familiar scent of home was comforting, but Ymir still wished they could turn back and just disappear again.

She deposited their bags in the bedroom, but decided to unpack later. Both she and Krista needed to relax, especially after the stress gained at Adrian’s place. Krista was staring fiercely at the front door when Ymir snuck up behind her, winding her arms delicately around Krista’s waist. She rested her chin at the crown of her head.

“What’re you staring at?”

“The door.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know what else to do.”

Ymir heard the waver in her voice, so she tugged her over to the couch and forced Krista to sit. “Look,” she started, seating herself at Krista’s side and pulling her in for a hug. “You can say no.”

“I can’t, Ymir, that’s the thing.” Krista nuzzled Ymir’s shoulder, but she was trembling.

Ymir felt a wave of calming energy sweep over her from Krista, and paused to look down between them. “That was her?”

Krista smiled, nodding. “She’s been doing that lately, making me relax when I freak out. I think it’s just instinctual.”

Ymir couldn’t help from completely derailing the serious conversation to drop on her knees and lift Krista’s shirt, exposing her swollen belly. “You’re the best kid ever,” she cooed softly, both palms pressed to Krista’s skin. “And I haven’t even met you yet.” She leaned closer, pressed a warm kiss there, and was surprised to feel a flutter of movement against her lips. Krista giggled above her, and she flicked her gaze upwards to meet Krista’s. She was smiling, and the worry in her eyes had been replaced by adoration and longing.

“Thank you,” Krista told her. “Just you doing that cleared my mind.”

Ymir felt her freckles warm, but she was satisfied enough that her dorkiness had helped some. Before they had conceived their baby, Ymir hadn’t thought it possible to love someone other than Krista this much. “As your wife, babe, that’s my job.” She winked in an attempt to be sexy, but it didn’t have the desired effect. Krista only giggled.

“Come here, you.” She drew Ymir closer and kissed her softly on the lips.

Ymir hummed, wrapping Krista up in her arms and pulling her closer. Even though Krista’s pregnancy still kept their bodies fully apart, she was content enough to have Krista’s stomach pressed to hers. Especially when their baby moved and she felt it immediately.

“Ymir,” Krista huffed, pulling away. Her eyes had darkened, and when she licked her lips, Ymir immediately recognized the look on her face. A wave of heat washed over her. “While we’re home, we might as well throw a party for our return.”

Ymir lifted a brow. “And who will be coming?”

“Us,” Historia husked, grinning wolfishly. She stood, tugging Ymir towards the bedroom by the front of her shirt. Her sharp teeth were already out, making Ymir’s skin tingle at the sight of them.

“Babe,” Ymir breathed, caught between a laugh and a moan. “Brilliant.”

Krista hummed in satisfaction and roughly pushed Ymir down onto their bed. That wave of heat crashed over Ymir again, running down to between her legs until she was throbbing. It had been a couple of days since Krista had been overcome with a heat, but Ymir supposed this was to be expected, considering the stress of the past few days.

During pregnancy, a lycan or cynan would experience fluctuating heats, dubbed so almost in a literal sense. Their bodies would flood with hormones, and they would become sexually starving. Ymir could keep up, at least, but it always left her mind reeling.

Krista ripped her shirt clean off, making Ymir pout. “Love, I liked that shirt.”

“I like your skin more,” Krista growled back. She ran her hands over Ymir’s naked chest, grinning as she straddled Ymir’s hips.

A heavy shudder crawled down Ymir’s spine. “Be gentle with me,” she pleaded jokingly. Krista crashed their mouths together again, controlling the pace of their kiss, growling hotly into her mouth. When she pulled back, her eyes were a swirling, bright blue.

“You did this to me,” she gestured to her stomach. “So you can endure a rough pounding.”

Ymir blinked. “Oh my god. You didn’t just say that.”

Krista licked her lips, parted them to flash her sharp teeth. “Yes I did. Now fuck me.”

Ymir reacted instinctually. She flipped Krista onto her back, ravished her lips and then the skin along her throat. Krista was heaving short breaths already, pulling her own clothes off so that they could feel nothing but their naked skin and the cloud of desire crawling over them. Ymir pressed hot kisses as she slid down Krista’s body, enjoying each and every shudder that passed through her. Along her belly, her kisses became gentle, loving, and then Ymir settled between Krista’s thighs. She nudged them apart.

“Grab something other than my hair,” she instructed quickly. “I do like having hair. And it’s gotten long again, too.”

Krista huffed in irritation. “Could you use that tongue for something better than talking?”

Ymir snickered. “As you wish, your highness.” She saw an imagine of Krista head-butting her, but pushed it away to focus on the task—no doubt Krista had wanted to do it, but in their current position couldn’t, so had simply settled for sending the thought along. At least she was pretty inventive.

The first swipe of Ymir’s tongue had Krista yelling. She was soaked and swollen, the bud of her clit so hard and red that Ymir winced herself, wondering how much it must have ached. So lavished as much attention to it as she could, flicking her tongue against the tip, then forming a seal with her lips to suck. Krista was bucking and coming against her face before long, ripping the sheets underneath her with long claws—and that was precisely why Ymir had to protect her hair. One unfortunate event and she would be traumatized for life. In this heat, Krista tended to lose control of her shifting.

When Krista’s shout had stopped bouncing off the walls, she relaxed and beckoned for Ymir to climb back up the bed. Ymir did, grinning.

“Was that better use for my tongue then?”

Krista groaned happily, tugging Ymir down to kiss her. “Thank you,” she puffed. “I really needed that.”

Remembering the aching look of her need, Ymir winced again. “Krista, don’t let it get that bad again, alright? I’m here to love you and pleasure you whenever you need and want it.”

Krista laughed, but nodded. “Thank you.”

Ymir stretched her long form, then pulled Krista on top of her. Krista’s nose pressed to the base of her throat, inhaling softly, so Ymir injected as much love and warmth into her scent as she could. A soft kiss told her that Krista felt it. They remained that way for a while, simply basking in the warmth of each other. Ymir was still wound up tight, but she could relieve that later. She could tell that Krista had something on her mind, especially when she began tracing small patterns against Ymir’s chest.

“Ymir, can I mention something?”

Ymir kissed her softly on the forehead. “You can mention anything.”

“I think I know what I’m going to do.”

“About the whole council thing?”

Krista scooted up so that she could look at Ymir’s face. She was still flushed, but otherwise Ymir was pleased with the refreshed look in Krista’s eyes. Her job as mate had been successful.

“I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure about this?” Ymir took Krista’s hands in her own, leaned in to kiss her lips. “You don’t have to. There’s no way they can force you into this. I mean, we have a baby on the way.”

Krista nodded. “I know. I don’t really want to, but I understand why they thought to use me. I’m the last of the Reiss line, and since my kind are usually hot-headed and self-centred, they won’t simply follow anyone. If we have any hope at all to remedy the situation, to bring our kinds together and finally end this dumb feud, then I need to be on that seat.”

Ymir chewed her bottom lip. “Did that orgasm give you an epiphany?”

Krista laughed suddenly and shoved Ymir by the shoulder. “No, dummy. How could I think about _anything_ with an orgasm that good ripping through me?”

“Point.”

“Exactly. Actually, I was thinking about this since we left Adrian. Plus, with my ability, I can control even those that want to fight back.”

“I see the genius of the plan, I really do.” Ymir couldn’t help herself and leaned closer to brush their cheeks. Krista responded by caressing the side of her jaw with a finger. “I’m just worried about you. I don’t want this whole situation to put our family at risk.”

Flashes of memory came to Ymir, of when she had been at the mercy of Liache, torn down and ruined right in front of Krista’s eyes. It still haunted her sometimes. Even the hollow ache of not having Krista occupy her soul came to her sometimes, when she remembered it.

“Ymir.” Krista pulled Ymir’s face away, but kept it in her palms. She gently traced circles on the freckled skin with her thumbs. “If there is one thing that is _never_ happening again, that’s it.” She must have seen slithers of Ymir’s thoughts. Sometimes Ymir couldn’t stop them from leaking out, especially when they were strong emotional thoughts. Krista was so sensitive to her now that it took almost no effort to tune in. “I will destroy anyone that so much as looks at you wrong, I swear. I’m not only a human anymore. Now that I’ve gained so much control over my lycan blood, I can be the one to protect us. Honestly, this baby is safer inside my body. Once she’s out, then the real worry begins.”

Ymir had no choice but to concede with a nod, because Krista was absolutely right. “I trust you. If you feel that taking control of this situation is the best for you and for everyone, then I’ll be right by your side. What’s the plan?”

Krista tried to hide an amused grin, but it lingered at the corners of her mouth. Ymir felt her stomach flutter.

“We’re going to hunter HQ, Ymir. I’m going to make a grand entrance.”

“When are we going?”

Krista gently pushed Ymir down onto her back, gaze smoky and molten again. “As soon as I repay you for your earlier efforts.

Ymir shuddered. “Yeah, that’s totally fine with me.”

Krista silenced her with a kiss, then with a wandering, talented hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Dante didn’t want to admit it, but she was slightly nervous. She hadn’t seen Ymir or Krista since the debacle with Liache, and now that Krista was so heavily pregnant, she was unsure what sort of reception she would receive. Either they would welcome her, or Krista would chase her off immediately.

It was simply an instinctual thing.

Climbing out of her car, Dante sniffed tentatively at the air. She caught Ymir and Krista’s scent quite easily—over the year it had sort of blended into the same scent. The two were so bonded that if one didn’t know them separately, they would not be able to detect one not as the other. Dante’s nose was sharp, however, and from their time spent together she knew Krista’s scent almost better than her own. Besides, Krista was a Reiss, so her pheromones appealed more heavily to lycan and cynan kind.

Dante went over to the front door and gave one firm knock. She waited. There was no answer, so she knocked again, but still no one answered the door. The letter in her free hand started feeling heavy, almost. Dante knew it was just her imagination. It was the weight of the seriousness, the authority. From today on, Krista would be leader of all lycans, including Dante herself. Every single one would be expected to submit to her. The thought was exciting, if not a little overwhelming. Dante wasn’t exactly sure how Krista would take the news.

She sniffed the air again, and realized with some concern that the couple weren’t at home. Their scent was strong, meaning they had recently left. Where could they have gone? She tried to call Krista’s phone, but didn’t get an answer. When she tried Ymir’s, she sighed at getting voicemail.

“Where did the two of you go?” she muttered, chewing on her lip.

She would have to return to HQ and let them know she hadn’t delivered the letter yet. She wondered how upset they would be, since this was a matter of urgency.

XxX

One thing Ymir learnt very quickly early on, was not to anger Krista. Especially now that she was pregnant. So Ymir didn’t quite raise her concerns when Krista insisted on dressing up in spiked leather and then heading out to hunter HQ. Thanks to a quick call to Adrian they had the address, but no one knew to expect them.

At the gate of the property, a young male lycan stepped out from the guard’s booth and bent down by the driver’s side window. It slid down, revealing Krista’s neatly combed blonde hair, and fierce blue eyes. The lycan swallowed lightly just from being around her.

“Good day. What is your appointment?”

Ymir watched, amused, as Krista thickened her scent, used her ability to make the male swallow thickly and break out into a sweat.

“Let me through,” she growled lowly. Even Ymir felt the intense desire to lift the barricade and allow Krista through, despite the fact that she wasn’t even a guard. It took not a second for Krista’s aura to overpower the guard’s free will, forcing him to nod and press his hand to a palm scanner. Once it went green, the gates swung open and Krista drove forward. Ymir laughed.

“What?” Krista enquired, smiling to herself. “One of us needs to get things done.”

“If you weren’t already knocked up with my baby, I’d have ripped that idiot’s eyes out for looking at you.”

Krista’s grin widened. She parked right at the entrance of the large, imposing building. Some loitering hunters sputtered, unaccustomed to anyone simply doing whatever they pleased. Krista wasn’t one to do that, either. Ymir wondered how much her lycan blood had changed her.

“You don’t have to defend me so much anymore, Ymir,” Krista told her as she stepped out of the car. “I can make them want me as much as fear me.”

Ymir shrugged. “True. Still, I have an image to maintain.” She walked around the car and joined Krista’s side, taking her hand. Before they took the steps up to the entrance, Ymir bent down and kissed her soundly on the lips—just for any wondering lycan or cynan to see, to know who Krista chose to be with.

Krista hummed against her lips, a finger stroking Ymir’s jaw. When she pulled back her pupils were blown wide, but this wasn’t an appropriate time for any frisky business. Krista placed a pair of black sunglasses on, flipped her hair over her shoulder, then tugged Ymir with her. Ymir rolled her eyes so hard that she almost made herself blind.

“You are being such a dork right now,” she whispered down to Krista. They were walking in the hallway, passing wide-eyed cynans who could easily sense Krista’s power. They took note of Ymir, too, and many of them adopted confused, curious expressions. Ymir just ignored them like Krista was doing, even when some lycan faces sent hateful glares.

With muttering behind them, Krista stepped up to a large desk, where a few humans sat answering phones and typing away at computers. One female looked up and paused immediately.

“Excuse me, are you authorized to be here?”

Krista passed calming energy over them. “I heard I was asked for, so I came as soon as possible. My name is Historia Krista Reiss. Am I at the right place?” she smiled so sweetly that Ymir fake-gagged behind her. Krista elbowed her stomach, so Ymir stopped and kept her amusement to herself.

From serious bad ass to sweet angel. Krista sure could do a complete 180.

“Oh!” the human stood, flushed in the face, shuddering from nerves. “Yes! We didn’t think you’d come so quickly. When did Dante meet with you? I’m sure she just left. Anyway, follow me! We have a meeting with the other council members underway. I’m sure they will be pleased that you’re here.”

Krista lifted a brow in Ymir’s direction, who then shrugged. They hadn’t met up with Dante, so they didn’t know what that was about. But they followed the human up a flight of stairs and into a large room, where a huge table sat in the centre, surrounded by chairs containing people. When they entered, conversations came to an abrupt halt. Eyes flashed over to them, angry at first, then surprised and confused.

A blonde man stood, frowning. “What is the meaning of the interruption?”

The human receptionist began to sweat more intensely. “This is Reiss, Hunter Council Member Smith. I was told to escort her to you if she was to stop by.”

Smith’s expression barely shifted. He nodded once, lifted a hand to point at the only open seat, and then dropped down himself. “You may leave,” he said to the receptionist, who scurried away quickly. “Please, take a seat Historia.”

Krista did so, frowning. “It’s Krista, actually.”

He forced a smile. “And you may call me Erwin. Before we continue our meeting, let us introduce ourselves and speak of your terms of service, shall we?”

Krista felt Ymir hover closely behind her. Torrents of nerves washed over her, so she reached behind her to take Ymir’s hand, and tried to soothe her as much as she could.

Erwin paused after noticing Ymir for the first time. “And you are?” he enquired tonelessly. “No civilians are permitted to hear these meetings.”

Ymir bristled immediately, eyes glowing and teeth fully out. Krista tightened her grip, distracting Ymir from the very nasty word she was about to say. “My mate,” Krista explained. “Father-parent to my unborn child. She won’t interrupt.” There was an unspoken command there that Ymir would stay and that was final. Someone from Krista’s right began to growl, and when she turned she caught the furious gaze of a cynan.

“How can Reiss control the lycan council when she bares a child of mixed blood?” she snarled.

Erwin lifted a thick brow, silencing the cynan woman immediately. “You will show respect in this room. We are not here to judge each other, Cynan Council Member. Please relax.”

The cynan did so, dropping her eyes. “I apologize. I haven’t slept in days.”

“None of us have,” Erwin clarified. “Now, let’s properly introduce ourselves. I am Erwin Smith, head of the Hunter seat. That is head of the Cynan seat, Alyssa.”

Alyssa kept a neutral expression, but Krista caught the puzzled look she had sent Ymir earlier. She was tall—as expected—with skin as brown as Ymir’s and short, black hair. Her eyes were cold blue.

“Beside her we have Arthur, head of the Human seat. He will help coordinate any media we need to control or create.”

The man was thin and balding, and the way he stared at Krista made her uneasy. When he smiled, it was creepy. But he bowed his head. “An honour to meet someone so powerful,” he told her. Ymir growled at him.

“As our Druid seat, we have Lenora. The druids have ridden the line between the human world and the werekind world for years and years. It is only appropriate for them to have a seat on the council.”

Luckily the druid was a woman, but she was elderly. She smiled at Krista, uncaring of her species or Ymir’s. There was not a judgement or a worry in her eyes. “As Arthur said, it’s an honour.”

Krista liked her immediately.

“And finally, we have you, last daughter of the Reiss line. Your bloodline is powerful, and we will need it in the next coming months. As you are aware, your kind can be stubborn. We feel they would more easily follow you, considering your royal blood. The question of your offspring will be answered on another date. That is not our concern. We ask you this. Are you willing to take the seat, and lead your people?”

Krista’s head was spinning. She took in easy breaths, and finally nodded. “If I don’t, you’ll make me.” Erwin’s expression told her that she was right. “So yes. Just tell me what I need to do, and I’ll do it. Just remember one thing.” She leaned forward, injecting as much of her aura around them until even the humans were straining against it. “My wife and my child come first before this. If I need to choose between the two, you know who will win. As long as we have that agreement, I’ll do whatever you need me to.”

Erwin’s mouth tightened, and he looked like he wanted to argue, but he dipped his head in agreement. “Fair enough,” he said. “Now with that, do any members have questions for our lycan seat? Now is your only time to raise them in company.”

“How far along are you?” Lenora enquired. Her gaze softened.

“Seven months,” Krista answered.

“Oh wow, you’re getting close. Congratulations. You look like a happy family.”

Krista smiled, chest warming. “Thank you.”

The others remained silent, clearly wanting to ask something but refraining for the moment. Perhaps Lenora’s kind question had dried up their venom. Alyssa especially sent a glare at Lenora, while Arthur simply stared. Erwin finally cleared his throat.

“Very well,” he started. “Let us begin. Krista, to fill you in. We were discussing the latest news coverage. It seems a group of civilian humans have formed a—”

Krista continued to listen, but she glanced over to see Ymir’s face. Ymir was watching her, brown eyes molten and worried. But then she smiled, and Krista’s chest warmed all over again. She rubbed the skin of Ymir’s wrist with her thumb, pulled her a little closer. She had a feeling the meeting would take a while, so she wanted Ymir close. Ymir didn’t mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister gave me some nice inspiration, so I finally sat down and wrote for this story again. To be honest, YumiKuri has kinda take a back seat to Clexa. I'm busy with a Clexa fic that has me so captivated, that I all but forgot about this one. I'm also really struggling with plot. I have a basic idea on what I want to happen in BDIII, but I have no clue what to actually write. If you're still reading this, then I'm so sorry for the wait. Let's hope I get struck with some awesome ideas, and fall in love with this story again.

The moment they stepped through the door, Ymir caught the sound of hurried feet. She grinned brightly, sharing a look with Krista, and then crouched down in time to catch the little child as she jumped up into her arms.

“Mir!” the little girl squealed.

“It’s the jellybean!” Ymir laughed. She stood, the little girl in her arms.

“Nova!” Petra yelled, storming out of the kitchen. She fixed a stern glare at her daughter. “What did I say about running? And shouldn’t you be napping?”

Nanaba chuckled from behind Ymir. “I told her Ymir and Krista were visiting. My fault.”

Nova looked between her parents, blue eyes wide. When her gaze landed on Petra, she let her bottom lip protrude just the slightest. The moment Petra saw the expression she seemed to melt. A warm smile covered her face.

“Fine,” she sighed. “Just this once. Ymir, Krista, it’s been some time. You both look really well.” Her eyes dropped to Krista’s belly. “How is the baby?”

Krista released Ymir’s hand, smiling, and followed Petra back into the kitchen. The two began speaking of the pregnancy, with Petra inserting her own advice and experience. Nanaba and Ymir watched them go, and then they chuckled when Nova giggled softly.

“Play?” she asked with her innocent childish excitement that had both cynans nodding their heads.

They hurried outside into the backyard. Nova ran away the moment Ymir released her, yelling, “hide an’ seek!” before disappearing between the trees. Ymir watched her go, and then she heard a sigh from Nanaba.

“How are you really doing?” Nanaba asked.

Ymir shrugged. “We wanted Krista to give birth there, you know. We didn’t want to come back.”

Nanaba’s eyes widened slightly. “Wow that’s… I suppose I can understand why.”

Ymir nodded, face serious again. “The world took so much from us, and now it wants more.”

“What does that mean?”

“Did Adrian not tell you?”

“No.” Nanaba shook her head. “He wouldn’t give me any details. But he did say it was big. What did they ask of you?”

“Not me.” Ymir sighed. “Krista. She’s accepted the lycan seat on the allied species council.”

“The allied species council?” Nanaba’s blonde brows furrowed. Before they could continue the conversation, Nova yelled out for them, and they decided to play the game and converse later. Ymir could tell that Nanaba wanted every detail. Despite the way she grinned when they finally found Nova, the way she seemed to glow in happiness because of her daughter, there was still a small measure of worry. When she glanced over at Ymir, it was obvious. It didn’t sit well with Ymir. Not at all.

XxX

“Are you sure about this?” Petra asked. She turned away to stir the pasta, but Krista could tell she was trying to remain calm and collected. Nova could very easily sense her parents’ discomfort, so they usually tried to stay calm and relaxed when so close to her. Krista felt slight guilt. Here she was, making them stress.

“What choice do I have? We just drove down from the Hunter HQ. They want me on the seat.”

“But,” Petra placed the lid back on the pot and then checked inside the oven to poke at the chicken. “You have every right to say no. You have a baby on the way.”

Krista pressed a hand to her belly. “I know. I just…I have this feeling that if I say no, they’ll make my life hell.”

“Krista, your life will be hell if you say _yes._ ”

It was true. Krista understood that. But there was also another fact that made Krista almost breathy with worry. “Petra, what do you think will happen to this city with so many werekind here? All these lycans? The cynans?” Petra froze. “I am the only one with the ability to calm everyone down. The humans—” Petra shot her a gaze at the mention, but bit down onto her lip. “—have started protesting. In the bigger cities they’re rioting. A few cynans have been killed already. The council is concerned that human politics will call for something drastic.”

“Like what?” Petra was shaking. She looked towards the sliding doors leading to the back, where Nanaba and Ymir were playing with Nova in their cynan forms. Nova sat on Nanaba’s back, screaming and laughing, while Ymir pretended to be a bad lycan chasing after them. Not that Nova really understood the difference between herself and a lycan. Or a cynan, to be honest. Krista followed her gaze.

“In history, humans have always treated each other horribly. They divided themselves because of skin colour, gender, sexual orientation. They have this innate desire to cause harm and to hate. I’m scared that… that if this really goes public that the humans will turn their eyes towards something new to hate. I don’t want Nova or my baby to grow up where they are treated less than.”

Petra wiped her hands off on a dish towel, lips pressed in a thin line. She remained quiet as she pulled plates and cutlery out, placing them neatly on the dining room table. “What will you do if that happens?”

Krista exhaled the breath she had been holding. Within her, the baby shifted. A wave of worry washed over Krista, making her sigh and rub her rounded belly. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she whispered to her. “I’m stressing you, aren’t I?”

“They’re really sensitive to emotion during pregnancy,” Petra stated. “Nova was like that too. I may be a human, but carrying her changed me quite a bit. Whenever I felt upset, Nova would tell me she was scared, that she didn’t like my emotions, and I would force myself to calm down. It must be more intense for you.”

Krista shook her head. “These are special babies.” She fixed her eyes on the wedding ring around her finger. The shallow, red light from the descending sun made the gold illuminate. “I think that my presence on the council could really help. What the humans will fear are our shifted selves. They’ll see claws and teeth, and they will think we are nightmares. If they see me—this tiny person so heavily pregnant, they might not be as afraid.”

“They’ll see werekind as people,” Petra added, nodding. “I see your point.”

“The council want me to make a final decision. I agreed to take the seat, but Erwin insisted I think harder on it. He wants us to go public in a week.”

Petra’s head snapped up. “Public? Like, have a press conference?”

Krista shrugged. “They want the council on TV, answering calls from curious or worried civilians.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“I will. I’ll wait to tell Erwin, just to make him sweat, but I will.”

Petra opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. After a while she simply stepped up and gave Krista a much needed hug. Krista felt a small brush of warmth from Petra, so she smiled and nuzzled into her.

“I can’t say enough how glad I am that for some reason, you and Nanaba were meant to be. If you hadn’t bonded with her, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Petra laughed, shaking her head. “Krista, I probably would have fallen in love with her either way. Bond or not. She’s just…she’s more amazing than words can describe. And I would have been on your side anyway, always. Now, before we stress you into early labour, let’s eat.”

Krista agreed, and helped Petra bring the dishes of food out onto the table. She went to call the cynans in, and laughed when Ymir tripped in her hurry to get dressed. She was probably very hungry. Nanaba and Nova raced in first, Nova’s young laughter lifting the mood. Ymir reached out, touching a fingertip to Krista’s cheek.

“Everything will be fine,” she said softly.

Krista smiled. “You felt all that, huh?”

Ymir pressed a kiss to her forehead and then gently took her hand. Krista was grateful for her. Grateful to whatever higher power was out there, if there was one, that out of the millions of people on earth, Ymir had been destined for her. That out of everyone, Ymir had chosen her.

“I love you,” Krista uttered. Her voice wavered with the thickness of her emotions. The baby kicked, and warmth washed over them both. “The baby does too.”

Ymir pulled her in softly. “I love you both too,” she declared strongly. “And I won’t ever let anything happen to you.”

“Promise?”

“On everything I stand for, yes.”

Petra called for them again, so they pulled apart and joined them. Thanks to Nanaba and Nova’s hijinks, everyone managed to slip back into a good mood. They ate, they laughed, but despite that, in the back of their minds, the danger loomed.

Something was bound to happen. Something big.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

“You don’t have to do this,” Ymir told her, panic bleeding into her voice despite how much she had been trying to hide it. Krista smiled at her, pleased by her concern, but unmoved by it.

“I do,” she assured. They were backstage, humans running around to get Krista’s make-up ready for when she was called up. Most of them smelt like fear and anxiety, and they didn’t meet Ymir’s eyes at all. They did treat Krista a little better, most likely thanks to her pregnant belly. It was one of the many reasons Krista was so glad to carry Ymir’s child.

“You’re on in 5 minutes,” a human woman announced behind them.

“I’ll be fine,” Krista hurried. “Stop stressing. I can handle this.”

Ymir shifted her weight between her feet, pouting ever so slightly. It made Krista step up and press a kiss to her lips. “I’m sorry,” Ymir mumbled. “I’m just not cool with this.”

“I know.” She sighed. “But we need to do this. There are still so many people that don’t believe us.”

Ymir rolled her eyes. “What they want is a circus act.”

“Well, we can’t shift fully on national TV, but basically, yeah.”

“I hate this so much.”

Krista smiled to dampen Ymir’s worry, but there was no denying her own. She wasn’t nervous in the least. She was simply worried. Like Ymir, she wondered about the actual benefit of this. Logically, the humans needed to see that a willing council had been formed, and that the shifter problem was being dealt with. _‘Problem’_ wasn’t really the word Krista would use, but she wasn’t in any position to change much. _Yet._

“Mrs Reiss, you’re on,” a young human male spoke off to the side. He had been standing there a while, probably too scared to intrude on their moment. Ymir bared her teeth at him, earning a slap to the stomach from Krista.

“Be nice, Ymir. Meet me back here when I’m done.” She gave her one more kiss, and then Krista turned and followed the boy. He led her around the curtains, and then indicated for her to step through. When she did, she was assaulted by bright lights and many pairs of curious human eyes.

“Welcome, Historia Krista Reiss!” the presenter announced, standing and clapping. The other humans all joined in, muttering to each other, loud enough for Krista to hear all of their comments without even straining.

“ _That_ is a lycan?”

“She’s pregnant though.’

“She looks human!”

“No way someone like that can be a werewolf.”

Krista ignored it all and stepped over to shake the presenter’s hand. He smiled at her, tight and uncomfortable, and pointed towards the seats across from his. The rest of the council sat there already, so Krista took the last available space right at the end, next to Lenora. Alyssa ignored her entrance completely, Erwin afforded her a curt nod and Arthur sent her a too-wide, creepy grin. Once Krista was seated, Lenora placed a warm hand on her forearm. Unlike everyone else, her smile was genuine. It put Krista to ease. She glanced over at the crowd, mostly smelling humans, but noticing the odd shifter here and there. Ymir sat in the front, her lips downturned and her brown eyes drawn into a fierce, angry glare. When their eyes met, Ymir’s expression lifted slightly.

“I’m honoured to be here,” Krista finally said, smiling as pleasantly as she could.

The presenter laughed. “Likewise. If I’m not mistaken, you are an apparent last heir, am I right?”

Erwin twitched, but remained seated and silent. No one else would have noted. Krista wondered how badly he wanted to answer the question himself, so she took great relish in doing so. “I come from a long line of pure lycan blood. Though my mother was a human, I’m still mostly lycan thanks to my father. We are the only remaining family from when lycans were first born.”

“Born?” he questioned. Krista tried to remember what his name was, since she hadn’t been listening earlier. “Erwin here was telling us that shifters weren’t born in the beginning, but made.”

Erwin inched forward. “That’s correct, Samuel.”

Ah, Samuel. Krista sat forward and leaned over to watch Erwin as he spoke. He seemed otherwise calm, and Krista would have been fooled along with everyone else if her sensitive nose didn’t pick up on a faint whiff of unease.

_Pornbrow is nervous,_ Ymir spoke into her head suddenly.

“Can you go into a little more detail about that?” Samuel asked. “Particularly regarding the Reiss bloodline.”

Krista turned and cast Ymir a look. She found a satisfied smirk thrown her way.

_Pornbrow?_

_Oh, should I respectfully say Erwin?_

_I mean, not that I’m complaining, but I am on live television. Refrain from making me laugh._

Ymir sank a little lower in her seat, lips spreading into a huge grin. She crossed her arms over her chest.

_Oh yeah,_ she said. _Don’t want them thinking that you’re nuts, now do we?_

_Exactly._ Krista had to resist the urge to send Ymir a warning glare. Most likely the audience as well as the council would wonder why she looked ready to head-butt something.

_So you sense his emotions too?_

_Duh. After experiencing a pregnant you, any tiny shift in emotion is quite obvious to me. What do you think he’s hiding?_

_Other than most of his eyebrows? I don’t know. He could be nervous._

_Maybe._

Krista decided that conversing with Ymir any longer would put her in serious danger of either exclaiming ‘idiot’ out loud or simply trotting down to sit in Ymir’s lap. Her chest tightened with various emotions, and she wanted nothing more than Ymir’s long arms around her, keeping her safe and warm.

Samuel spoke her name, so Krista quickly turned to him in time to catch his question.

“How do you feel, being part of this newly formed council? Just a few weeks ago we had no idea that other kinds existed. Honestly, it’s a little frightening, wouldn’t you say?”

All eyes turned to her.

_No pressure babe,_ Ymir’s words filtered into her mind, along with a mental chuckle. Krista ignored her.

“I wouldn’t call it frightening,” she answered. “I think that if humans could live alongside us for so many years before we made ourselves known, why would it be any different now? And on the subject of the council, I’m a little wary, what with my baby on the way.”

Samuel’s smile dissolved into sincerity. “Congratulations, by the way.”

Someone in the crowd yelled an agreement. Krista smiled. “Thank you.”

“Do you worry about your baby’s safety, with you being in the spotlight like this?”

Krista’s lips pulled back into a brought, teeth-baring smile. She made sure to show her sharp fangs. “Not at all. I can take care of myself. My mate can take care of me too.”

Samuel’s eyes glinted with intrigue. He didn’t voice his immediate questions, and instead turned to the others with his plastic smile back in place. “We have discussed this for quite some time now. How about we take some calls before our next break?” He nodded to someone back stage, and then the first caller connected. “You are on air. Tell us your name and then give us your question.”

“Um hi,” the voice crackled over the speakers. “My name is Tracy. I’m calling to ask Erwin a question.”

Erwin’s lips twitched. “Go ahead,” he said.

“Mr Erwin, will the hunter organization take any responsibility for any death or injury caused by shifter attacks? Since your organization has kept this a secret, plenty of people put themselves at risk without realizing it.”

Krista felt a quiet anger at the question. Risk? What risk? More humans died by killing each other than being attacked by a shifter. In fact, shifters cared more about mauling each other than humans. Is this what they thought? That simply being on the same street as a shifter put them at risk?

“Depending on the situation, we do. We have long since taken care of any attack we have been notified of. Hospital bills have been taken care of, the shifter placed in our custody, and wealthy compensation should there be any fatalities.”

“But how do you guys answer for hiding this for so many years? Many of us feel betrayed. We’re too scared to leave our homes.”

Krista clenched her jaw tightly. “Scared of what?” she asked suddenly. The anger flared up inside of her, probably increased due to Ymir’s as well. Ymir wasn’t offering any thoughts of comfort, and the baby was most likely asleep. That left Krista with her own heated anger and her own thoughts. Which she could not keep to herself. “I think what the hunters did was more for our safety than yours.”

“Excuse me?” the caller sputtered. “We aren’t the animals here.”

“Animals?”

“How are we supposed to go through our daily lives, when we know there are people out there that can turn into _things_ whenever they want?”

Krista took a breath to shoot back a very nasty remark, but then Samuel clapped his hands and the call died.

“Oh no,” he groaned. “Seems like we were disconnected. Too bad. Next caller! Keep it light this time.”

“Hi, hello!” the next caller shouted over the speakers. “I have a question for Krista!”

Everyone in the room shifted. The air tinged with a slight wave of nerves. Krista settled back, arms crossed over her chest, ready for anything. “Shoot,” she said.

“You’re pregnant, right?”

“I am.”

“How far along are you?”

The normal question made Krista’s anger evaporate almost entirely. “Just over seven months,” she answered.

“Wow. Congratulations! I’m really curious, so excuse me if this is rude. Um, how do I ask this? The baby, is it…?” the caller went silent, clearly at a loss for how to word their question.

“Human? Lycan? Is that what you’re trying to ask?”

“If it isn’t rude to do so.”

Krista smiled at the stranger’s fear of offending her. At least some people could be polite. “My baby is an alpha cynan. She will more strongly take after my lycan blood, but her father-parent has contributed greatly to her cynan blood as well.”

“Father-parent? So he is a cynan? That’s a weredog, right?”

Krista shared an amused glance with Ymir, who was openly staring at her with clear affection. “ _She_ , actually. And yes. My wife is a cynanthrope. You heard the history of the cynans from Erwin earlier.”

“Oh yeah, cool. Is she hot?”

The crowd laughed, and Ymir simply looked downright pleased. She waggled her eyebrows, though Krista didn’t give anyone the satisfaction of blushing. “She knocked me up, didn’t she?” She grinned.

The caller laughed. “Wow, guess that answers it. I was mainly curious about your pregnancy. Thank you for answering! I wish you and your loved one the most happiness.”

“Thank you, that’s so sweet.”

“Okay, next caller!” Samuel announced. He seemed genuinely touched, as did everyone else there. Good. Krista was glad to see that her pregnancy humanized her at least.

“Hello everyone! Hi ma! Um,” the caller cleared their throat. “My question is for Krista.”

“Of course,” Alyssa muttered quietly, rolling her eyes.

“Did you and your wife naturally conceive?”

Ymir sputtered loudly from where she sat, leading many eyes to spare her curious glances. Krista as well, but she smiled and winked to make it worse for her. “We did,” she answered confidently. Ymir went red, but she furrowed her brows and assumed the expression of a wounded animal. “But I won’t disclose how, why, what or when. Next question!”

One after the other, calls came in for Krista. They centred on the baby, around her relationship with Ymir. Some people were rude, while most were genuinely curious. Krista was glad to speak to all of them and give them the answers they really wanted. It was only when the last call came in that Krista was reminded of how serious the whole situation was.

“Our next caller is in,” Samuel announced.

“My question is for the Reiss heir,” the person spoke. The voice was cold, low toned and quite to the point. Krista’s ears rang slightly at the voice, and her pulse slowed down. She straightened, eyes narrowing, waiting for the question to come. “How could you betray your own blood, your kin, to lie with a mutt and bare its filthy child?” Disgust and contempt bled heavily into their voice, making it nothing but unnecessarily hateful.

Ymir growled low from where she sat. Samuel immediately moved to signal for the call to be cut off, but Krista waved him off. He sent her a questioning gaze, to which she smiled. She sent Ymir a comforting wave of emotion as well, and waited for everyone to settle down, for all eyes to be on her, before she answered.

“That’s quite easy to answer,” she started. “Firstly, we are an entirely new generation. While we still need to make giant leaps until both cynans and lycans can live peacefully side by side, there is nothing wrong with us loving each other. I love her. It’s as simple as that. She is my bonded partner. As rare as that is, she and I met, and we bonded. Honestly, my wife is leagues stronger than some lycan pups like you.”

An angry growl thrummed over the speakers. “You are putting yourself in danger, Reiss,” they spat. “We will never accept you.”

Krista couldn’t control her emotions enough to keep her ability from leaking out with her voice. The entire studio hushed to absolute nothingness, everyone slightly uncomfortable from the unexplainable pressure in the air. “You _will_ accept me, because I will _command_ you,” she growled. “And if any of you dare to threaten my baby or my mate, you will live to regret it.” Her own growl punctuated her powerful statement, and then the caller hung up and the room was left with a ringing silence.

Samuel clapped his hands. Krista took in a deep breath and eased her ability away, until everyone could sit up straight again and slow murmurs flowed through the room.

“Well, that was quite intense,” he commented lightly. There was no mistaking the sweat coating his skin, and the slight rustle from his quivering hands. They were afraid of her. Of course they would be, after seeing her like that. Despite her size, despite her pregnancy, Krista knew that she could still look frightening when she wanted to be. All it took was a growl, a fierce glance and a flash of teeth, and people fled. “Let’s take a break, and then continue when we’re back.”

Krista sighed. The baby was awake, and a slight flutter of emotion made Krista press her palms to her belly. She sent affection and love to the baby, hoping that would erase all the negative emotions she had been feeling. The same emotions bounced back, but increased by twice as much, and she looked up to see Ymir heading over to them. Before Samuel could protest and inform Ymir that she wasn’t permitted, Ymir dropped down at Krista’s side and took her hands.

_What am I getting into?_ Krista thought quietly. By Ymir’s serious expression, she was wondering the same thing.

“You okay?” Ymir asked softly. Her thumb brushed against Krista’s palm. The motion soothed her nerves.

“I am now, thank you.”

“You still up for this? That last caller was a shithead.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay.” Ymir sucked in a breath. She didn’t seem to be aware of anything but the two of them. “If you need me to pick you up and cart you out of here, just give me the signal, okay?”

Krista felt a burst of affection. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t cry. Instead she smiled, nodding, and then she leaned against Ymir and sighed. “We’ll be fine,” she assured all three of them. “After all of this, we can move somewhere and just relax.”

Ymir covered her knee with a hand. She didn’t say anything more. Her mere presence was all Krista needed.


	7. Chapter 7

Ymir was woken by the soft fluttering against her palm. At first she ignored it, content in her dreams, but roused when she realized that it was her baby moving. She laid there for a long while, her hand pressed to Krista’s tummy and her body curled around Krista’s smaller one. She smiled softly and burrowed her face against Krista’s neck, inhaling her scent and feeling her warmth. The baby was awake, Ymir could tell. Soft waves of affection rolled towards her, distantly from Krista in her dream state, but mostly from the baby. It still amazed her, to feel such strong emotion from someone that hadn’t even been born yet. Her someone. Her child.

Chest buzzing with emotion, Ymir pressed a firm kiss to Krista’s cheek, and then she slipped out of bed to wrap a robe around her body and start on breakfast. As beautiful as Krista was in the mornings, she could be a beast when hungry. Besides, Ymir had gotten used to waking up first and cooking a nice breakfast for them. To just do anything for Krista at this stage made Ymir happy. She knew that pregnancy wasn’t easy. There was no way carrying an entire person was easy. She caught tendrils of Krista’s discomfort every once in a while, but Krista had been strict in keeping those feelings to herself.

Ymir hummed happily to herself as she grabbed everything she would need for a breakfast, and then absently switched the TV on in the lounge for background noise. She was just about done sprinkling cheese into the bowl of cracked eggs when she heard something that made her pause.

_“…as you can see, parked in front of the Reiss residence…”_

Ymir dumped the cheese and strode into the lounge, heart thudding. Her stomach churned when she saw video footage of their home on TV. She just _had_ to switch it on to the news channel. Ymir stared for a long while, not sure what to do. Krista was still sleeping. There were lines of vans parked outside of their house, both in their yard and down the street. A woman was talking into the camera, eyes bleary and hair a little windblown. She was talking about how they hadn’t seen any movement inside, but would wait for however long it took. Ymir bit down on her lip.

“Fuck it,” she growled, tightening her gown and storming to the front door. She was suddenly very angry. _Very fucking angry._

The moment she opened the front door, she opened Pandora’s fucking box. Anyone in the nearest vicinity whirled around, camera’s suddenly rolling and flashing, people hurrying over and babbling all at once. Their excited chatter filled Ymir’s ears, and she couldn’t help but flinch away from the stimuli.

“Are you the wife of Historia Reiss?”

“Is Historia Reiss with you?”

“What can you say about the interview with Miss Reiss?”

“Does it concern you that your wife was threatened on live television?”

“What is your name?”

“Do you have any comments for us?”

They were frantic, convulsing and moving in to choke her. Ymir’s lip curled back and she growled, successfully stopping them from moving any closer. When she lifted her hand, their chatter died down.

“Please leave,” she started calmly. “This is our home, and you are invading our privacy. We do not want you here. If we have anything to say, we will personally invite you over.”

They started talking again, words and voices bleeding into one chaotic mess. Ymir suddenly felt a headache spring to the forefront of her mind. Steam lifted from her skin at the force of her anger, and she could see from the reflection on one of the cameras that her eyes and teeth had already changed. Some of the human reporters had taken a few healthy steps back, clearly afraid of her. Good.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but they were too much, babbling consistently until she had her back against the door, regretting her impulsive decision to swoop outside and deal with the mess herself. Her regret only deepened when the door suddenly yanked open, nearly causing her to fall flat on her ass, and Krista’s hand reached out to steady her. The humans became even louder, until Krista release a low, thrumming growl and reached out with her ability, almost physically pushing the humans away and down the stoop.

“I will answer only three questions,” she spoke strongly, voice cutting through the excitement and adrenalin. “You have six seconds to ask them, and then I am going back inside and you are all leaving.”

The humans converged on them, throwing every question they could imagine. Ymir had a hard time understanding any of them, but Krista seemed to catch a few of them. She pressed in against Ymir’s side, and then she inhaled softly and began.

“Yes, this is my wife Ymir,” she answered. “No, I am not worried about my position on the council. No we are not planning on segregating shifters.” She gave Ymir’s stomach a light pat. “That’s all.”

Ymir quickly stepped back into the house, Krista right behind her, and hurried to shut the door before the reporters spilled inside with them. Ymir sighed.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I thought I could get rid of them before you woke up.”

Krista looked troubled, but she grinned up at Ymir and pulled her down for a kiss. “My hero,” she teased. “Maybe next time.”

Ymir pouted. “I was supposed to be the dashing rescuer.”

Krista laughed. Their anxiety melted away quickly, replaced by the happiness that always seemed to surround them, despite everything else. “I fear that now _you_ are the damsel in distress, my love.”

Ymir clicked her tongue, but allowed herself to grin widely. “I understand how you felt, now. So, are you hungry?”

Krista’s eyes lit up with desire just as her stomach grumbled loudly. They both glanced down, and then they laughed.

“Well…”

“One hunger at a time,” Ymir told her, smirking. She pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We can diddly later.”

“Ymir,” Krista groaned, but followed her into the kitchen anyway.

XxX

Raiden couldn’t help the way her stomach tightened almost painfully, making her fear that she just might lose the early breakfast she had eaten. Berik gave her an encouraging slap on the back, but it did nothing to help. He waited outside on his bike, and Raiden hurried into the Hunter’s building. She had received a call, told to come in. Berik had told her to keep an open mind, but Raiden was terrified of what the call really meant. There was no doubt that it was about Alphard. Raiden couldn’t handle it if Alphard was getting her sentence, or worse, the death penalty. So it took a lot of effort for her to step up to reception, swallowing thickly and wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans.

“Um, Shizuku,” she blurted, eyes wide. “I was called in.”

The lady at the counter nodded mutely, eyes flitting over to the computer. She clicked away for a second, and then she nodded once at Raiden and lifted a finger to indicate that she should wait. “Take a seat,” she drawled lazily, and then she lifted a nearby phone and dialled a number.

Raiden sent her a puzzled look, but obeyed and seated herself in one of the metal chairs. Her knee jumped nervously, and her heart was stuttering hard in her chest.

_I hope Alphard is okay. I wonder what this is about. God, what if she escaped? What if Liache returned and broke her out? What if there was an accident? What if…?_

Raiden’s frantic thoughts were cut off when large double doors swung open and Alphard stepped out, escorted by a burly hunter woman, but no cuffs. Actually, she was dressed in the clothes they had arrested her in. She looked uninjured, and though there was a mild look of irritation on her face, she looked oddly happy.

Raiden stood, swallowing. “What’s going on?” she asked the hunter.

“Release,” the woman droned in response. “Please leave the premises quickly. Any transgression will lead you right back here.” She didn’t stay to watch their reunion and disappeared back behind the doors. Raiden turned to Alphard, eyes wide.

“Did she just say release?”

Alphard nodded. “Yup.”

“As in, they’re releasing you?”

“That is what it implies, yes.”

“You are no longer in jail?”

“Raiden,” Alphard sighed, rolling her eyes. “Yes. I’m free. Now can we please leave this place before I rip someone’s face off?”

Raiden nodded mutely and headed for the door, Alphard at her heels. When they walking into the early morning sun, she paused long enough to send Alphard a meaningful look. Alphard stood still, eyes closed and face lifted, soaking up the sun. A wave of sudden affection washed through her, and before she realized what she was doing, Raiden stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Alphard in a tight, trembling hug.

Instead of ripping away and growling, Alphard wrapped her up in a hug, too.

“You’re free?” Raiden gasped, unable to believe it.

Alphard chuckled. “As a bird,” she responded. “But also homeless.”

Raiden’s arms tightened. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Berik sent her a strange look, but she ignored him and let her tears fall. “I’m sorry,” she choked out, pulling back. “I just… I came here expecting very bad news. I was so worried. I mean, I just discovered that I have a sister, and we’ve just started getting closer, so I, I mean…” she sniffled lightly, a blush on her cheeks at her show of weakness.

Alphard had a surprisingly tender look on her face. She lifted her hand and brushed a tear from Raiden’s cheek. “It’s alright,” she whispered. “I gave them your number because I have no one else.”

 _No one but you,_ were the unspoken words. Raiden’s heart swelled.

“Are you sure?”

Alphard nodded, smiling. Gone was the scowling and the snark. She looked genuinely happy, and lighter than Raiden had ever seen her. They might not have known each other very long, but Raiden had early on realized that Alphard had a slight darkness around her, born from years of tragedy and cruelty. Both done to her, and from her.

“I’m sure I can fit another bed in my room,” Raiden started, grinning. “Right, Ber’?”

Berik grinned broadly. “I see no problem with that. I won’t complain about having two hot shifters as roommates.”

Raiden laughed, but Alphard sent him a glare. “Touch me or my sister and I’ll rip your balls off,” she threatened.

Berik’s eyes widened, and then he whistled and slipped his helmet on. “Wow, I’ll keep that in mind. I have to go now, so be safe, okay?” he sent the words to Raiden, but winked at Alphard before kicking his bike to life and skidding away with a laugh.

Alphard watched him go with a frown. Raiden wouldn’t lie to herself and say that she didn’t enjoy the protective edge to Alphard’s tone. Alphard had said ‘sister’. She was acknowledging their bond. That meant a lot.

“Come on,” Raiden told her, smiling. “Adrian isn’t too far from here. We can tell him that you’re free and then he can give us an update.”

Alphard sighed but followed her. There was a bounce in her step. Raiden had never felt so happy.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to the reporters camping out on their street, Ymir found that they were basically trapped in their own home. And while on any other day that would have been a concern, Ymir didn’t mind as much. It meant that she had a great excuse to laze around with Krista all day, watch their TV shows and basically be the least productive cynan in history. It also meant that the two of them quickly forgot about their worries, which helped with the mood. They avoided the news channels and didn’t look out the windows, and if they concentrated really hard, they could almost pretend that things were back to normal.

Well, _almost_ back to normal. The recent stress must have triggered something for Krista, because she had been experiencing frequent heats that would have scared anyone else. Ymir didn’t mind it—in fact, she enjoyed the haze of desire and pleasure she had been in the past few days. Such was her current predicament, and Ymir grunted loudly when Krista’s claws dug into her stomach.

“Babe,” she gasped out, grasping her wrists. “Please don’t gut me.”

Krista’s sharp eyes flicked upwards and the pressure of her claws disappeared as they retracted. “Sorry,” she panted harshly, face flushed, breasts bouncing.

Ymir grinned. She held Krista’s hips firmly, helping her ride the large toy strapped between Ymir’s legs. Krista’s heat had gotten so bad that nothing else could satisfy her as roughly. Krista slammed back down on the toy, moaning out softly between every breath.

“So close,” she groaned.

“Oh god,” Ymir gasped. “Put your arms around my neck.” She could sense that Krista needed something to clutch onto, but wasn’t sure what. Krista obeyed, and as soon as her arms wrapped around Ymir’s neck, Ymir took control of the pace. She stilled Krista’s body with one hand, used the other to balance herself on the couch, and then thrusted upwards. “This okay?” she panted out.

“God, yes,” Krista purred. “Harder.”

Ymir furrowed her brows in concentration. She reminded herself that Krista wasn’t fragile, and that she did not in fact need to be gentle. Krista wouldn’t break. So she tensed every muscle in her body and increased the force of her hips, satisfied when Krista’s moaning only gained in volume and intensity. Before long Ymir felt the tendrils of an intense orgasm at the fringe of her mind.

“I’m coming,” Krista gasped, eyes screwed shut. She pressed her face into Ymir’s neck, and then her body went rigid as she came. Ymir felt the orgasm rip through her body as well, making her eyelids and fingertips tingle. She slowed her hips, but kept thrusting slowly and gently, forcing the orgasm along for as long as possible, drawing it out until she sensed when to stop. She dropped back down onto the couch, panting harshly and drenched in sweat. Krista fell forward against her, boneless and spent.

“Better?” Ymir asked her. She wound her arms around Krista’s quivering body and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I can’t move,” Krista breathed out. “I’m trying, but my body just won’t.”

Ymir snickered. “Fucked you into oblivion, did I?”

“I think you really did.”

“Where do you want to go?”

Krista groaned. “No, don’t carry me anywhere. Stay right here. I just need something inside of me for a bit.”

Ymir relented with a contented smile. She relaxed fully, Krista warm and sweaty in her arms. The lounge smelt heavily of stale air and sex, and she wrinkled her nose. “We really need to clean the place up. We’ve haven’t worn clothes in three days.”

“No,” Krista argued. She pressed a kiss to Ymir’s shoulder. “I like seeing your freckled butt.”

“I like knowing that you like looking at my freckled butt,” Ymir laughed. “But we need to clean up our act. I think we have a ton of missed calls and angry messages.”

“Everyone can go and screw themselves. I’m happy keeping you all to myself.”

Krista had also been very emotional as of late, which was understandable. She felt an urge to shift quite a few times a day, and in those times she usually dropped down on whatever surface and slept. The baby was draining a lot of her energy as she grew, and the both of them were eager for the day Krista would give birth, because it was taking a toll on them both. When Krista wasn’t aware of it, Ymir siphoned some of that discomfort and took it on herself. It was awful, just the little that Ymir felt. She couldn’t imagine what Krista was actually feeling.

“You know,” Krista spoke up softly. “This reminds me of the heat I used to feel when we first met. Remember those?”

Ymir chuckled. “Of course. I felt like I was on fire.”

“Yeah. I really wanted you back then.”

“And clearly you still do. I mean, how can you not? I’m delicious.”

Krista pushed away slightly to give Ymir an exasperated look. “Keep talking like that. You’re drying me right up.” But she grinned and pressed a little kiss to Ymir’s nose.

“Oh please, my confidence turns you on.”

Krista inhaled softly. “God, yes it does.”

Ymir felt the stirrings of arousal again, but it wasn’t her own. Her eyes widened. “Again?” she asked, incredulous. “I don’t think I can physically have sex again. For like, another week. I ache in places I didn’t know I could ache. My back is shot. I might be dying.”

Krista rubbed a hand over her face. “I’m sorry. I don’t… it shouldn’t be this bad. Just, with everything, and with you being so supportive… it kind of turns me into a horny mess.”

Ymir kissed her brow tenderly. “I know. If you want, you can totally ride me again and I’ll just sit back and watch. I come when you do, so I’ll be fine.”

Krista shook her head. “I’m too sore, actually.”

Ymir opened her mouth to comment that yes, she should be sore with all the sex they’d had, but their home telephone rang and it was—unfortunately—just within Ymir’s reach. That meant she had to answer it. She could ignore it, like they had been doing with their mobiles a few days ago before the devices died of low batteries. But only their family had the number for their landline, and so Ymir stretched out and grabbed the phone off the cradle.

“Hello?”

“Ymir. This is Mikasa.”

Ymir lifted a brow. Krista was resting against her chest again, an ear against her skin, breathing softly. She was still shivering, but otherwise she had calmed down and her temperature had dropped. “What can we do for you?”

“We’ve been watching the news,” Mikasa commented. “And Eren thought that maybe we could invite you guys out to eat with us, since we’re all in town at the same time. Thanks to all of the shifter presence, we’ve all been called back to take position all over the city. We thought you could use the reprieve, and get out a little.”

Ymir trailed her fingertips along Krista’s hips and lower back. “What do you think?” she asked Krista.

“Sure. I think it would be nice to see them again.”

“You sure, Krista? We’ll have to fight past the reporters.”

Krista released a low grumble that sounded like a growling laugh. “I think I’ll enjoy that, actually.”

Ymir chuckled. “Alright, we’re game. Time and place?”

Mikasa rattled off the restaurant name and the time they should arrive. She said her goodbyes and ended the call. Ymir tossed the phone aside. “Alright, we have a couple of hours to recover and then make ourselves decent.”

“I suppose we can’t leave the house naked,” Krista sighed. “Can we stay like this just a little longer?”

Ymir felt the baby move. “Yeah, okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow I remembered that this fic exists. Sorry, everyone! I'll probably post shorter chapters from now on, since they're easier for me to do than huge ones. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that there are still people reading.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Praise the lord I updated this fic

Dinner with the hunters had been pleasant, if a bit difficult. They were swamped by reporters and paparazzi—amusingly—and at first they couldn’t even get into the restaurant. Luckily they were in fact meeting with hunters, so Mikasa cleared a path for them and threatened to arrest any human that tried anything. Now with the hunters out in the open, they actually had legal authority. Mikasa’s threat had worked to a degree, but people had still milled about outside, and occasionally someone would sneak in and beg for an interview. Ymir had to keep Krista back from ripping their heads off, to which Krista was grateful.

By the time they got home, Krista was ready to sleep for a week. She wasn’t sure that she ever wanted to leave their house again, not if every step she took was photographed by the nearest interested party. Ymir seemed cheerful at least, so that emotion bled out to her and allowed the irritation to subside. It helped that they were holding hands, and Ymir was humming softly into the silence of the car.

“So that was fun,” Ymir finally spoke up. “Never realized exactly how famous we are now.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I can’t imagine how crazy it’s going to get when our daughter is born. We… we might need to escape again, to that cabin.”

Krista caressed the inside of Ymir’s wrist with her thumb. “Yeah. I’ve been worried about that recently. Things might not die down by the time I give birth.”

“You should speak to Erwin,” Ymir suggested. “Ask him what they can do for you, to keep you safe.”

“I can take care of myself,” Krista argued. “I have the Reiss power.”

Ymir turned to glare at her. “I don’t care. This baby is half of me, and I get to have a say too. You can’t defend yourself against an army of lycans, Krista. What if the humans decide to kidnap you, experiment on you? Who will prevent that?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven. I want to take every precaution. We can’t afford to sink into a false sense of security.”

Krista fell silent, thoughtful over the subject. Perhaps she could ask for a squad of hunters to stay close by and follow her around as she went about her business. No doubt Ymir would be right by her side, but it helped to have trusted individuals close by. Anything could happen. Ymir was absolutely right.

“Krista,” Ymir gasped suddenly, hitting the breaks. Krista jerked forward, but the seatbelt prevented her from smashing her face against the dashboard. Heart thumping in terror, she glanced up to follow Ymir’s stare. “We might need to test if you against an army really is impossible.”

Fear swept over Krista for a long second. She splayed both hands across her swollen belly, where her baby moved slightly in worry. She could feel her emotions, her subtle touches of confusion. Once the second was over, Krista forced her fear aside.

In front of their home stood a huge group of lycans, some in wolf form and some in human form. Their scents were strong and almost acidic, filled with anger and fear and confusion. In no time they would smell her. They could turn around and drive off, but something in Krista’s blood urged her not to run. She placed a hand over Ymir’s thigh and gave it a squeeze.

“I need to see what they want,” she whispered softly. “Stay by my side.”

Ymir’s eyes opened wide in alarm, but she didn’t argue. Maybe it was something in Krista’s voice, or the calming energy she was pushing out to soothe both Ymir and the baby. Perhaps even herself. “Okay,” Ymir uttered softly.

Ymir drove the rest of the way to their driveway, and then they climbed out of the car. No one jumped to attack and in fact plenty of lycans took big steps away. Krista had already started pumping out some powerful pheromones, warning any brave lycan not to dare attack. Many eyes averted to the ground when Krista stood before them, even as small and pregnant as she was.

Ymir appeared by her side immediately and took her hand. She shared a worried look, but didn’t speak. She knew that this wasn’t her place yet, and Krista appreciated her foresight. Swallowing, Krista finally addressed them.

“Why are you all here?” she spoke loudly, voice carrying over so that each and every lycan could hear her.

The smell in the air intensified, fear and anxiety intensifying. Ymir visibly wrinkled her nose at the scent, but Krista ignored it. Soon the only scent would be hers. No one spoke at first, but eventually someone stepped forward and Krista’s muscles relaxed slightly. It was a lycan woman, an inch or so shorter than Ymir, with black hair and vibrant green eyes. In her arms she clutched a lycan baby who was fast asleep and snoring.

“We are afraid,” she spoke up softly. Her voice was timid. “We… thought we would come here and ask you what we need to do.”

Krista furrowed her brows. “Why would I be able to help you?”

“You are the Reiss heir,” she answered. “You command us all. Lycan, cynan and human alike.”

Krista bit down on her lip. It was understandable, for all of these lycans to be so afraid. She was too. Did she have the right words to ease their worry?

“Life from here will not be easy,” she decided to say. “We are transparent to the world now. No doubt before long the humans will develop ways to detect us. I can’t tell you that things will turn out okay. We did not make this choice, it was made for us. But think of this: we can live openly now. We can run freely with our brothers and sisters without the weight of secrecy on our shoulders. Live your life now. Live it to the fullest and live it honestly. I will do everything in my power to stop the humans from taking our rights away.”

“We don’t have rights yet,” another voice spoke out. A man stepped forward, young faced and pale. “There is no law with our kind’s name on it. What do we do, if they decide we are not people? We have no soul? No place? Where do we go, Reiss heir?”

Krista swallowed. He was right. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. She rubbed a hand over her belly. “If it comes to it, we fight. We fight for ourselves and our fellow kinds.” A grumble travelled through everyone. “Yes, that’s right. We fight for cynans too. Do you see her?” She pointed at Ymir. “She is a cynan. I see her no differently from me. This child I carry is half hers, half cynan. We are all from the same place. During this time, we need to stop dividing ourselves and stand together.”

“Is it really that simple?” another voice called out. “That easy?”

“That’s up to all of you,” Krista answered. “Leave here and go to your homes, your families. If you have none, make them. I can’t answer all of your questions or right all your wrongs. I am the Reiss heir, but I am just a pregnant lycan.” She grinned despite the tense atmosphere. “And I am close to giving birth. So please, try to relax. Tell your brothers and sisters, tell all lycans and cynans, that we must work together. We can stand tall and come out stronger.”

A low murmur broke out, lycans all looking at each other. Suddenly from the treeline and between buildings, more people emerged. The scent of cynans filled the area, and at first it unsettled the lycans, but Krista forced calming energy over everyone and the tensions melted away. Cynans walked closer, started slipping between the lycans. They all eyed each other wearily, but then they relaxed. When they all stood there like that, no one could tell each other apart. They must have realized that Krista was right.

“Come on,” Ymir whispered in her ear. “You’re going to collapse.”

Krista opened her mouth to protest, but her legs wobbled and her eyes clouded over. She must have overused her abilities. She welcomed Ymir’s arms as they scooped her up, and then they were inside their house and she pressed her face to Ymir’s chest. She didn’t realize she was crying until Ymir touched her wet cheek, gazing down at her in worry.

“What’s wrong, love?”

Krista wiped at her eyes. “I… don’t know.”

Ymir frowned and kissed her brow. “Let’s go to sleep. This is all taking a toll on you. And her.”

Krista glanced at her belly. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Let me take some of your pain for today. Just today.”

Krista inhaled shakily. The baby was restless and worried, kicking a little too hard. Had Krista been a human, those kicks could have broken her ribs. But she was not, though it was still uncomfortable. This baby was ready to come into the world, and Krista really worried that she would go into labour a little too soon.

“Yeah, okay,” she relented softly.

They climbed into bed together and cuddled. Krista opened herself up completely and let Ymir in. She didn’t realize what an intense relief it was until her emotions levelled out and settled. Ymir’s face creased in discomfort, but she tightened her arms and kissed Krista’s cheek.

“I love you more than anything,” she whispered.

Krista smiled. “Me too. Thank you.”

They fell asleep calmer and content.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so holy shit let's do this

* * *

**Previously** :

* * *

 

Krista is heavily pregnant with Ymir’s baby, and after escaping to a cabin holiday together, they are forced to return home after trouble brews in the horizon. All shifter kind are exposed to the world, and in response the Organization create the Allied Species Council, crowning Krista the leader of all lycans. Krista, her baby and her relationship with Ymir become a media sensation. Lycans and cynans of all kind are frightened of what this new way of life means, and seek Krista out for reassurance. She tells them to live their lives, to not be afraid, and that she will fight for them. She tells them to set their differences aside for once and join hands. But not all sides are willing to make amends, and enemies lurk in every corner.

* * *

**Now:**

* * *

“Absolutely not!” Krista’s voice rang aggressively around the room. Erwin didn’t flinch, though, but Krista could see the sweat at his brow.

“I am not saying this is the only option.”

She slammed her hands down on the counter and bared her teeth. “These people came to _me_ because they’re scared. We have been exposed, Erwin. The last thing I want to do to shifter kind is segregate them. We are _not_ putting them in camps.”

Erwin sighed softly and steepled his fingers together. “Please calm down, Mrs Reiss.”

She knew she was being too forward, too aggressive. But the stress of everything was getting to her, and it made her so angry when she heard humans saying things like this. Why did they like to separate people who were different? Had they learnt nothing from their own terrible history against each other?

“Give me time,” she told him calmly. She sat down and clasped her hands together, claws out and pricking her skin. “Let me think of something we can do.”

“It might not be that simple, dear,” Lenora interjected. “I fully understand your feelings. I too would be appalled if it was called for all druids to be rounded up and put in one place. But you must understand, human kind fall very easily prey to fear. Right now they are fearing your shifter kinds. The proposition is made to ensure your safety, as well as theirs.”

Erwin only moved his eyes as they spoke.

“I’m with the heir on this one,” Alyssa added. She was slumped over, pale and exhausted looking. “The worst way to ensure our kinds that we are safe being known is to make us feel like prisoners. We will not go easily or kindly. It would only start a revolt. Many people will die.”

Krista nodded. “Exactly what Alyssa said. We can’t do this. Reject the proposal, Erwin. It’s a terrible idea.”

Erwin glanced at each of them. Arthur had been suspiciously silent through the whole debate, only speaking up earlier when he announced the Shifter Separation Proposal. He and Erwin shared a silent look, and then Erwin sat back with a sigh and nodded.

“I shall send a message to the president that our council voted against the first proposal. As a team, let us keep working towards figuring out what we can do to help our society mould together.”

He gathered the papers, gave them all a nod and then calmly left the room. Krista watched him go until he disappeared, glaring daggers at the back of his head.

“Don’t be too mad at him,” Lenora said kindly. She stood at Krista’s side. “He is merely trying to play devil’s advocate. Our council is quite biased on our own sides. We cannot be objective yet. But we need to be, Historia.”

Krista shifted. “Don’t call me by that name, please.”

“My apologies.”

She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. “I’m sorry for my outburst. There was no excuse for acting like that.”

Lenora shook her head. “Not at all. You have quite the circumstance.” She lifted her head, smile widening. “I do believe your beloved is here. It was lovely to meet with you, though under tense circumstances.”

Lenora stepped away, and Krista saw Ymir standing in the doorway to the meeting room. Her face was creased in worry. Lenora left them, thankfully, and Krista quickly joined Ymir’s side. It was like a breath of fresh air, being able to hold her hand and feel her warmth.

“You wanna go home and have a long bubble bath?” Ymir asked gently, stroking a thumb over her cheek.

Krista smiled brightly. “That sounds amazing, actually.”

“Alright, let’s go do that then, yeah? You’re too stressed.” Her eyes flicked down to Krista’s swollen belly. The baby was awake, and Krista could feel soft flutters of emotion. She placed her hands over the swell there.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“We understand,” Ymir assured. She pressed a soft kiss to Krista’s forehead. “Baby and mama Ymir understand what you’re going through, and we love mama Krista even more for it.” She gently pressed her hands to Krista’s tummy as well. “Right, little one?”

Krista felt the baby move and then a wave of warmth rushed over her. She sighed. “What would I do without you?”

Ymir gave her a cheeky grin. “Fumble in the dark, that’s what.”

Krista laughed and let Ymir lead her out of the Order. Thankfully the drive home was mostly uneventful. Over the past week, the vans parked outside of their house dwindled. There were still three or four, and at night groups of lycans and cynans made their appearances, but it seemed some of their newfound stardom was starting to die down. The media couldn’t ignore their human celebrities for too much longer, what with so many butt jobs and divorces happening, apparently.

XxX

It never stopped unnerving her. Ymir understood that these people were scared, and she knew that Krista had some mystical lycan ability that could manipulate emotions and to an extent, force people to obey her. But still. Seeing their backyard completely full with shifter bodies set her nerves on edge. She couldn’t help but be that overprotective spouse, hovering very close by at Krista’s back.

Krista, though, was calm. At first it had made her nervous, but now she seemed to have resigned herself to it. Ymir hated that she felt like she needed to do this. Krista owed shit. She never asked to have the blood that she did. But Krista was determined to do this now, and Ymir absolutely respected that even if she didn’t agree with it. Her only unwavering condition was that Krista was not allowed to meet with these people without Ymir or Nanaba at her side (Nanaba as a backup, only in case something extreme happened that Ymir couldn’t be there herself).

They were all shifted, since Krista was most powerful in her lycan form. Ymir was on all fours as well, as were most of their visitors.

 _What do you mean they want to separate us?_ someone asked.

Krista sighed. _I don’t want you to panic,_ she told them. _I’m telling you because I want you all to trust me, and to know what is happening. But I need your help as well. What do you want and need from the government? Rights, obviously. I’ve been discussing this on the council._

 _And do we have rights yet?_ someone else called out.

_We are still working out the details. All that I ask is that you remain calm. Return to your everyday lives, tell your fellow shifters. Stay calm. Do not attack humans. Do not be aggressive towards humans. Better yet, don’t be aggressive at all. Stay calm and peaceful. The last thing we need right now are more deaths and attacks. I can’t fight for our rights if we give them reasons not to give them to us._

_It shouldn’t be for them to give!_

_Yeah! We’re people, too!_

_Someone should take their goddamn rights away!_

Krista was getting visibly irritated. Ymir could feel the emotions rolling off of her. She cleared her throat and brushed up against Krista’s side, gently licking underneath her jaw. She didn’t say anything, but she felt the soft thump of Krista’s tail.

 _That’ll be all for tonight,_ Krista told them. _I’m tired. Please leave and if anyone has urgent business with me, they can come by tomorrow night._

The shifters started to leave, leaping through the trees or making their way around the house to their cars. Ymir could hear grumbling and muttering, but she kept quiet as everyone left. Krista turned to her then, blue eyes swimming with emotion. She released a loud, cracking yawn and then padded into their home. Once they crossed the threshold, they shifted back into their human forms and Ymir wrapped Krista up in her arms.

“I’m sorry that you need to do this,” Ymir told her softly.

“It’s okay. I agreed to it.”

“It’s not okay, damnit. They’re expecting the world from you, Krista. You’re not some god.”

Krista gave her a sad smile and pulled her arms away. She leaned up to peck Ymir on the cheek. “I know that, love. But right now I’m all they have. All that stands between us and all out anarchy. I can…” She looked away, almost as though she was too afraid to continue. Ymir sensed that Krista was shutting her off from her thoughts and feelings, and panic welled up inside of her.

“Krista?”

The wall keeping her out dropped, and Ymir felt a rush of exhaustion and worry and anger that was not her own. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“I’m sorry,” Krista sighed. “I didn’t mean to lock you out.”

“Please don’t do that again.”

Krista nodded. She took Ymir’s hand and pulled her towards the bedroom. They collapsed together on the bed, curled around each other with Ymir’s one hand cradling Krista’s head and the other her belly. “What I was saying earlier,” Krista started. “Was that I can feel their emotions, Ymir. The more I use my ability, the more I feel and hear and see. I can’t turn them away. I just… I can’t.”

Ymir snuggled closer and kissed her softly on the shoulder. “You’re too damn kind.” She sighed, nuzzling her throat next. “But that’s why you’re you, and I love you. Just remember to say stop when you need it. You’re our queen, so act like it.”

Krista snorted. “Me, a queen?”

Ymir chuckled. “Hells yeah. To me and this little baby. You’re our queen, Krista. We’re here for you.”

Krista grew silent. Ymir could see the thoughts in her head. They never shut each other out, and it was so common for them to share thoughts that they naturally observed what the other was thinking.

“So basically the humans are pissing themselves like terrified kids, and they want the big bad monsters locked away?”

“Basically.”

“And you don’t want that. Obviously. What can we do if they push for it, though?”

“Well, without the Order on their side, the humans can’t really physically force us to do anything. Not unless they’ve been experimenting. That’s something I’m afraid of. Arthur has been very vague about that, and Erwin is stone cold. I heard that he hardly sleeps and that he’s been speaking directly with the president.” She released a big, weary sigh. Ymir could feel her headache.

“Okay, sweetheart, let’s get some sleep now and we can talk about this tomorrow.”

“We need to head to Adrian’s tomorrow,” Krista groaned. “He wants to talk to us again. Apparently Alphard is there, too.”

Ymir mulled that over. She had a few theories as to why that was important, but she would voice those tomorrow when it was more appropriate to do so. “We’ll figure that all out tomorrow. Just close your eyes now and sleep. You and the baby need your rest.”

Krista did exactly that. She fell asleep almost instantly, and Ymir merely listened to the sound of her soft breathing. She herself was almost lulled into sleep, but then she heard a knock on their back door and her irritation spiked. She left Krista gently and trudged angrily to the kitchen, wrenched the door open with the full expectation that some lycan kid would be standing there, trembling at the knees. Instead what she found was a small white envelope. She glanced around but saw no one. There was a faint scent, but it was too vague to make out.

Ymir grabbed the envelope and shut the door. She opened it hesitantly, unsure what she would find.

It was just a card. A plain, white card. But Ymir’s blood ran cold anyway, and her claws and teeth grew out. On the card was one little sentence in bright, bold ink.

‘ ** _We are watching and we are plotting_** _.’_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the new YumiKuri fic that'll take the open slot Nothing Holding Me Back left. Are you guys as happy as me to see this being updated again?
> 
> Comments are very, very welcome!


	11. Chapter 11

Alphard was, indeed, by Adrian’s. Raiden was practically glued to her side, so when Ymir sent her a withering look, Raiden moved between them and lifted both hands in a placating manner.

“She’s not here to cause trouble,” Raiden urged.

Ymir narrowed her eyes. She felt a touch on her arm and turned to look at Krista. Her eyebrows shot upwards. Krista’s eyes were a bright, vivid blue and her lips were pulled back over long, sharp teeth. Alphard dropped to the floor then, hands covering her head. She started to whimper softly, and everyone else in the room could feel the pressure of Krista’s ability, but they were not touched by it.

“Krista, stop!” Raiden yelled, face panicked. “Please, you’re hurting her!”

Ymir felt a flutter of fear from the baby and she lifted a hand to touch Krista’s shoulder, but then Alphard shook her head and spoke.

“No, I deserve it,” she groaned out. “I deserve it.”

Krista lifted her head, looking down her nose. She stared a few seconds more, and then the pressure disappeared and Alphard took in huge, heavy gulps of air. Her face was red and trickling with sweat, but she looked more ashamed than angry. In fact, she didn’t look angry at all. Krista approached her and Ymir tried to stop her, but Krista’s emotions pushed her away and so she let her go, rolling her eyes.

“If you try to hurt me, my mate or my baby, I will hunt you down. Do you understand me?”

Nanaba pulled Raiden away and growled in her ear to calm down and let it happen. Alphard glanced up at Krista, and then she nodded stiffly. Krista smiled then. She held a hand out, and after hesitating a moment, Alphard took it. Krista pulled her onto her feet.

“Good,” Krista said cheerfully, as if she hadn’t just been the scariest thing on the planet a moment ago. “I’m glad we can agree.”

Raiden broke free of Nanaba’s grasp and rushed to Alphard’s side, inspecting her all over and making sure she was okay. She glared at Krista, but she didn’t say anything else. Nanaba was sighing in exhaustion.

A little laugh cut through the tense air, and then tiny footsteps hurried into the room and a toddler sized Nanaba barrelled right into Ymir.

“Aunty ‘Mir!” she yelled, overjoyed and too loud.

Ymir hoisted her up into the air, laughing just as happily. “Hey there Novy pants!” She mashed their cheeks together and enjoyed the wondrous laugh Nova released.

“Now is no time to be quarrelling.” Adrian entered the room next, looking greyer and more exhausted. Krista went to him immediately but Ymir stayed where she was. Nova was playing with her cheeks, so she simply let it happen. Raiden pulled Alphard across the room to the far corner, but Alphard refused to look at anything but the floor. Nanaba approached Ymir, smiling at her daughter, then Ymir.

“My kid loves you, huh?” she said. “Sometimes I think a little more than me.”

Ymir snorted. “This little thing loves me more than you? As if. You’re her Jesus.”

Nova noticed Nanaba standing close by and her face absolutely brightened. She immediately twisted around and reached for her. “Mama!”

Nanaba took Nova into her arms and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Hey there sweetheart. Did you have fun with grandpa?”

Nova nodded enthusiastically. Upon closer inspection, she looked thoroughly exhausted. She rested her head against Nanaba’s shoulder, closed her eyes and then fell asleep in seconds. Nanaba pressed her cheek against Nova’s head and rocked her gently.

“She’s growing so quickly,” Nanaba said to Ymir. “More quickly than I thought she would. She’s learning to talk so rapidly. Before long she’ll be shifting.” There was a layer of worry in her voice.

“It’ll be okay.” Ymir gave a thin smile. “Krista will make sure Nova will have a free, happy life to live.”

Nanaba nodded. “For your baby too. It’s almost time, isn’t it?”

They both looked at Krista. She was speaking quietly with Adrian, telling him about the threatening letter they had received. Ymir sighed softly. It was very close to the baby being born. Every time she thought about it, she could hardly contain her excitement. Half the time she was terrified, because being a parent was by all definitions terrifying. But she wanted this. All the responsibility and the struggles and the joy. All of it. She couldn’t wait to meet her daughter, to see what she would look like, what sort of person she would grow into.

“Let us all sit down,” Adrian said loudly. He joined the two of them and gestured to the couches. They sat down, Krista taking her place on Ymir’s unoccupied left. She was visibly agitated, so Ymir took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She didn’t ask what else they had spoken about—Adrian would tell them soon. “We have much to discuss,” Adrian started. He took a seat by the kitchen table, facing all of them.

“I have people all over,” he started. “And I’ve managed to find out two important things. One, there is a radical human group that are outing and hunting shifters, and are calling for the extermination or separation of all shifters. They call themselves the Slayers.”

“What are the Hunters doing about it?” Nanaba asked.

“They’ve arrested a few people, but with no laws on shifter life, there isn’t much they can do. According to the law, it isn’t illegal to kill a shifter.”

“That’s not all,” Krista added. “There is another radical group.”

“A group of lycans,” Adrian continued. “They call themselves the Packs. Their ideology is that lycans are genetically superior to all other species, and they want to rule both humans and cynans. There have already been violent clashes between these two groups, and a lot of innocent people have gotten hurt.”

Ymir looked at Krista. Her jaw was clenched.

XxX

“We need to find a way to stop this lycan group from causing any trouble,” Krista continued. She felt too stressed and agitated for her own liking. Having seen Alphard again after so long had brought up terrible memories for her. She still sometimes dreamt about what Liache and her pack had done. It made her angry. If she had died, or Ymir… then this baby wouldn’t have happened. She placed a hand over her belly. “We need to look into any leads that the Packs might be founded and led by Liache.”

At that Alphard visibly reacted. Krista could smell her sweat, hear the pounding of her heart. She couldn’t trust her, not yet. She could understand why Raiden did, what with them being sisters. But if Alphard knew something, then Krista would sense it.

“Is there any chance you would know Liache’s whereabouts?” Adrian asked her kindly.

Alphard looked down at her clasped hands. “I don’t,” she said. “I’ve told everyone as much already. They left me, and that’s it. No one has contacted me since.”

Krista narrowed her eyes. “Do you think you could find her then?”

Raiden stood up. “She’s not with Liache and that group anymore, okay? She’s sorry for what she did. She isn’t that person anymore.”

Alphard pulled her down. “Stop speaking on my behalf,” she growled angrily. “I’m not a fucking child, Raiden. I’m your older sister, but we hardly know each other.”

Raiden went pink. “I’m just… I’m trying to help.” She sat down.

Krista felt a brush of guilt that wasn’t her own. Alphard was feeling bad, and that was a good sign. Alphard met her eyes for the first time then, and Krista saw fire there. “I can try,” Alphard told her. “I can go out, ask around. I can join the Packs and feel my way around. If Liache really is behind it, then I can help bring her down.”

Krista smiled. She was going to suggest it, and clearly Alphard knew that. But Alphard had made the suggestion, and that made it easier on her. “Thank you.”

“Krista was threatened,” Adrian added suddenly. Everyone else were shocked silent, besides the three that already knew. Ymir tightened her hand and Krista leaned into her. “So we all need to stay alert. Everyone is tense right now. It’s all still fresh and new. Once the baby is born and once the council make helpful decisions, things should calm down.”

Krista really hoped he was right.

XxX

Sometimes the council meetings were a waste of time. All they ended up doing was arguing in circles about the same thing until Krista had decided to stand up and just walk out of there. Hunter security had increased a lot at Hunter HQ, which Krista was grateful for. But Erwin didn’t seem too keen on taking immediate action against either the Slayers or the Packs. He promised that he was trying, but that wasn’t enough. At least Krista had something to add, with Alphard heading into the Packs to see who was leading it and why. Erwin was pleased when he heard, but Alyssa wasn’t too happy. Of course she wasn’t.

Cynans were basically right in the middle of this whole damn conflict, and they were the ones suffering the most casualties. Krista understood that. Her unborn baby was half cynan for god’s sake.

Ymir met her in the reception room and immediately took her hand, but she didn’t feel up to talking at all. She let the thoughts and emotions leak towards Ymir, let her learn of the meeting that way. Ymir only sighed softly and offered her a promise of a long, sensual bath when they got home. It lifted her mood some, but not by all that much. Her stomach felt like it was tied up in knots, and the baby was awake and restless.

They climbed in the car and left Hunter HQ. Right outside the gate a big group of humans were standing around, holding anti-shifter signs. They started yelling when the gate opened, but the hunter guards prevented them from entering. Krista decided to ignore them completely. The heavy sensation in her stomach increased.

“What do you feel like for dinner?” Ymir asked her.

Krista stared out the car window, barely even seeing anything. Everything was just a blur flying by. She was hungry, but she didn’t really feel like eating anything. “Whatever you want,” she said.

Ymir sighed. “Babe, is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all? I hate seeing you so upset. I feel so useless in all this.”

Krista sat up and placed a hand on Ymir’s leg. “I’m sorry for letting this occupy me as it has. I just don’t know what to do. I feel like shifters are not the priority here. That humans are. It’s upsetting me. If I can’t make the humans see us as people, then we’re all finished. If the organization turns on us, starts hunting us down? I don’t…” She trailed off with a soft sigh. These were her deep, dark worries. It felt good to say them out in the open, even if they made them seem a little more real.

“I’ll kill anyone I have to, to protect you,” Ymir growled passionately. Her eyes glowed a bright, molten gold. They stopped at a red light and Krista leaned over to kiss her. Ymir’s pulse was hammering, but her heart slowed slightly with their kiss. Krista caressed the side of her jaw, affection welling up inside of her.

“I’m sure things will—”

Her body slammed backwards into the car door, but the seatbelt held her in place in the seat. The car suddenly flipped into the air, glass shattering and metal screeching as they twisted, rolled and tumbled down a small hill. The car went spinning after hitting the edge of a tree, and then it flipped one last time onto its roof, lurched slightly, groaned, and stopped.

Krista exhaled a harsh breath. Her entire body was tingling and sore, and she felt something wet sliding down her face. She vaguely wondered what had happened, then she realized that their car had crashed and she looked to her side for Ymir, panic swelling inside of her. Ymir was hanging in the seat beside her, and she wasn’t moving.

“Ymir,” she croaked out. She tasted blood. “Ymir.”

Ymir didn’t move. The ringing in Krista’s ears faded away, and then she heard the sound of feet thumping closer. Her immediate instinct was to shift and to fight, but she was stuck in the seat. Her head was pounding and there was an odd feeling in her abdomen.

 _Alive?_ someone thought-spoke.

There was a loud inhale. _Yes._

Krista struggled with her seatbelt. She used her claws to slice through the material, and then she gripped onto the twisted door of the car. A muzzle inched its way through the open window, but Krista used the last of her strength to drop and launch herself out the window. It was a very, very tight squeeze with her pregnant belly, but she managed it. She kicked the shifter in the face, heard their surprised yelp of pain, and then she shifted in a giant burst of steam. When the steam cleared, she pulled her lips back.

A group of lycans stared at her, teeth bared, eyes filled with hatred. A plume of smoke lifted from their ruined car, where Ymir still hung unconscious. The panic started to climb.

 _Reiss heir,_ someone spoke with a snarl. _It’s nice to finally meet you._

She realized that she recognize that voice. It was the caller from that interview, the one that had threatened her. Anger made her panic melt away.

And then her water broke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... baby Reiss... is not cool with all this drama happening without her...


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever wondered how hardcore Krista is, let this chapter show you

That strange feeling in her gut? Yeah, that was her going into early labour. Krista felt her water break, the liquid trickling down her thighs to her paws. A wave of pain crashed into her, but she held her whimper inside and instead channelled it into an aggressive growl.

 _What is the meaning of this?_ she snarled at them.

The one that had spoken, the leader, stepped forward. He was on high alert, muscles tensed, ears up. Drool started to slide down the edge of his lip and down his chin. _I warned you,_ he told her. _On that interview. No good can come of this. Of that thing you carry._

Anger filled her veins like a drug. The pain was steady, ebbing, building, ebbing again. Her baby was distressed, sending out waves of panic and confusion. She was kicking and moving and desperate for whatever was happening to stop.

 _Smells like you just went into labour,_ another one of them commented.

_This should be easy then._

Krista eyed the burning car. She needed to make this quick and get Ymir out of there. Whatever happened to herself, she didn’t care. Ymir and the baby were her priority—she needed to get them both out of this safely.

So she straightened herself, felt her body fill with the power she had inherited from her father. Her body grew in size until she was towering over them, and then she lashed out with her ability, catching them by surprise. Their leader was the only one that managed to move out of the way, but the other four were too slow. It was like an invisible arm slammed into them, sending them hurling through the night sky. Their whimpers landed on deaf ears—Krista shot forward, teeth aimed right at the leader’s throat. She was just about to snap his neck, but then he twisted around and her teeth sunk into his shoulder instead. He retaliated by clawing her left arm to pieces, but the pain was almost nothing.

There was so much pain that it all blended together, numbed by the adrenalin and the anger. There wasn’t even any fear left.

Krista released him and used her ability, but he disappeared from her sight. A sharp pain burned into her side, and she turned to snap at him. He bounced away easily, but he was clearly winded. Blood poured out of his shoulder and his eyes were starting to dart in all directions.

 _You came for me and you just aimed for my baby. You are not making it out of here alive,_ she snarled at him.

His ears folded back instinctually, and by the time he realized he was doing it, Krista was already on him again. She had no time to worry about her labour, about Ymir and the fire. She needed to take him out. They tumbled into the trees, snapping and snarling at each other, nails and teeth gauging out chunks of flesh. He released a howl of pain when she sunk her teeth into his throat, and then he pushed away from her, blood dripping from his teeth.

 _This is not over,_ he told her, panting.

She struggled onto her feet. He couldn’t see it, but her legs were shaking. The pain was slowly starting to come back. As much as she wanted to keep to her promise, when he howled for his lycans and they all disappeared in the trees, she let it happen. She rushed back to the car and shifted back into her human form. Like this her pregnant belly was in the way, but she merely ripped the car door off, tore the seatbelt and pulled Ymir from the wreck.

Ymir had steam bellowing from her head, which meant she was healing fine, but still very much unconscious. Krista didn’t know where her phone was, and it was late. She needed to get to a hospital, and quickly, so she picked Ymir up bridal style and then made for the road. She must have been quite the sight—naked, pregnant and covered in blood while carrying a woman double her size. Krista was sure that in a few years she would laugh at the memory.

By some miracle she made it to the hospital, grateful that they had been crashed nearby. Nurses rushed to her side when she stepped in with bloody footprints, and Ymir was placed on a bed.

“She’s… fine,” Krista told them. She was out of breath. “She just needs time to heal.” Someone put a coat over her shivering shoulders.

“Ma’am, you’re severely injured. Did you carry that woman here all by yourself?”

Krista nodded. “My name is Historia Reiss,” she told them. “I assume you know who I am? What I am?”

The nurses all shared a look. “That’s okay, Mrs Reiss, we don’t care if you’re a shifter or not. You need medical help immediately.”

“We need to see if the baby is okay,” another nurse interjected. “I’ll run and get the doctor.”

Krista grabbed the woman’s sleeve to stop her. “About that…” She finally allowed the pain to show on her face. “I went into labour. I’m also not healing.” There was already a puddle of blood at her feet. She was starting to feel cold and numb. “I… I need…” She licked her dry lips. “The baby…”

Her knees buckled and the other nurse caught her in his arms. He lifted her up and started yelling for a bed. Then she was wheeled away and darkness clouded her vision, and all she could feel was the baby in distress and Ymir still unconscious.

XxX

Nanaba answered her phone, but it wasn’t Ymir on the other end of the line. She was still at Adrian’s, about ready to leave with Nova fast asleep in her arms, when the stranger greeted her and asked if she was the correct person.

“This is her,” she said, brows furrowed. “Who is this?”

“Ma’am, you’re listed as the second emergency contact. We weren’t sure what family to contact. There was an accident.”

Her heart nearly stopped completely. Nova woke immediately when she felt the shift in emotion, and Adrian looked over at her with concern.

“What happened?” she choked out.

“Mrs Reiss stumbled into Grace Hospital with her wife unconscious in her arms. She’s also in labour. We’ve got her in surgery right now to deliver the baby, but she said she’s not healing. I assume you understand what that means?”

Nanaba felt like throwing up. “I’m on my way. Just… please, deliver the baby as quickly as you can.”

They hung up and she told Adrian what was going on. He immediately grabbed his jacket and car keys. “Let me drive,” he suggested.

Nanaba nodded and the three of them climbed into his truck. Nova pressed her tiny hand against Nanaba’s cheek, but she didn’t say anything. Her little blue eyes shimmered with tears, so Nanaba kissed the tip of her nose and held her closer.

“Don’t worry, Nova. Everything will be fine.”

Nova sniffled. “Aunty ‘Mir and Krista?”

Nanaba could only hug her even closer and look away. Nova wasn’t even two yet, and she was already so intelligent, because she didn’t prod any deeper. She just held onto Nanaba and offered silent comfort, sending Nanaba warm emotions. Truthfully, Nova was the only reason Nanaba wasn’t an emotional mess yet, and she was speechlessly grateful.

“Call Petra,” Adrian told her softly. “Let her know.”

Nanaba did. Petra started crying and promised to meet them at the hospital as soon as she could. When Nanaba ended the call they parked at the hospital, and she hurried to get out. Nova’s arms tightened around her neck.

“It’s okay,” Nanaba soothed her. She gently rubbed her back. “It’ll be okay.”

They rushed in, horrified to find puddles of blood all over the floor of reception. Nanaba covered Nova’s eyes and avoided the blood, making her way to the pale and frightened looking receptionist.

“Excuse me, I’m here on behalf of Historia Reiss. I understand she was just here and was rushed into surgery?”

The woman looked up at her, eyes widening. “Um, yes. She just…” She looked towards the entrance. “She just walked in, covered in blood and injuries. How… how did she do that?”

Nanaba felt her claws and teeth grow out, and the glow of her eyes reflected back at her in the woman’s eyes. “Please, can you tell me where her mate was taken?”

The woman nodded hurriedly. “Of course. Down the hallway, room five.”

Before they even made it to room five they heard the sound of Ymir shouting. Nanaba rushed in, heart pounding.

“I swear to fucking god, if you don’t tell me where she is right now I’ll—”

“Ymir!” Nanaba yelled. She handed Nova over to Adrian and rushed forward to pull her into a crushing hug. Ymir’s shouting stopped, but she pulled away from the hug quickly.

“Please,” Ymir begged. There were tears in her eyes. “Where is my wife?”

The poor nurse had both hands lifted, sweat trickling down his face. “She was just taken into surgery,” he told her calmly. “They’re going to deliver the baby.”

“Ymir, she isn’t healing,” Nanaba hurried. “Childbirth is the most vulnerable time for a shifter. Our healing momentarily stops so that our bodies can focus on birth. How bad are her injuries?” The last part she directed at the nurse. His eyes flicked to the ground.

“Any human would have been dead five times over,” he admitted.

Ymir inhaled sharply.

XxX

This wasn’t happening. This was a nightmare. Ymir would wake up in a cold sweat, and Krista would be there next to her in bed, safe and fast asleep, and she would roll over to caress her belly and know their baby was safe and sound.

“We will do all we can to safely deliver the baby,” the human man was saying. “But please, remain calm and wait for the doctor.”

She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t sit around and wait. Tears spilled out and she buried her face in her hands.

_Ymir…_

Her head shot up. _Krista?_

_Ymir… I’m sorry._

She wiped her tears away and sniffled. _Where are you?_

_In one of the theatres. Can you follow my scent?_

She headed out of the room, ignoring the nurse’s calls for her to stay. _I can… oh god, Krista is this your blood?_

_Probably…_

Even though it was all internally, her voice sounded extremely drained. Ymir’s heart pulled hard. _I’m coming,_ she said. _Hold on until I get there._

She followed the scent until she found the correct room, and then she hurried inside and snarled when two men attempted to throw her out. She easily tossed them across the room, and then someone strong slammed a hand into her chest and pinned her to the wall.

“Please calm yourself,” he said. His eyes were glowing a soft green. “We need you to put these on, then you can join your mate’s side.”

Ymir blinked. She lifted her nose, sniffed. The man was a cynan, and he was in scrubs and covered in blood that wasn’t his. His gloved hands were dyed a deep red. Ymir obeyed and pulled the clothes on, and then she was ushered to the operating table and Krista’s lidded blue eyes found hers.

“Ymir…” she croaked out softly.

Ymir dropped down by her side and brushed their noses. “Krista,” she choked out. “I’m here. Jesus… what happened? I… I woke up and I was here and I just…”

Krista chuckled softly. “We were attacked. Group of lycans. The rest I’ll tell you later, when I… when…” Her voice wavered, stopped. She was too pale, too small. The doctors were yelling something at each other, then something started to beep and ring and she was pushed away.

“She’s lost too much blood!” someone yelled.

“Her heart stopped!”

Ymir’s blood ran cold. “No… no, no, no!”

“Just get that baby out safely!”

Ymir watched, helpless. They attempted to keep Krista’s heart going, and then they pulled the baby from her bleeding body, and Ymir’s eyes widened. The little thing didn’t cry, but she took a soft gasp and was handed off to a nurse.

“Quickly!” a doctor yelled.

The nurse walked over, eyes filled with pity. “Do you want to hold her, before we take her to get cleaned?”

Ymir numbly nodded. She accepted the bundle and stared down at her. She was a little gross, covered in blood and other stuff, and she was so pink. But she wasn’t making a noise or moving. She opened her eyes—soft blue with specks of brown—and then Krista took a huge gasp and the doctors all jumped back, alarmed.

“Impossible!” one of them shouted.

Ymir glanced up. Krista dropped off the table, then she shifted in a bellow of steam and crawled towards them. She was breathing hard, exhausted, but she had just enough energy to stretch forward and touch her nose to the baby’s soft, wet cheek. At the contact the baby opened her eyes again.

Ymir let her tears fall. “You did it,” she choked out. “You held on.” Krista shifted back. She was fully healed but still covered in blood. There was not a scar or a mark, but regardless of that, she was still too tired to walk. She collapsed in Ymir’s arms, and they slid to the ground in a heap with the baby in Ymir’s arms.

“She’s so small,” Krista whispered softly.

People were shouting and moving around them, but they ignored it.

“She is,” Ymir agreed.

“Little Astrid,” Krista said. Ymir lifted a brow.

“So you like the name after all, huh?”

Krista rolled her eyes. “It’s not the worst one you came up with.”

Ymir would have argued for the hell of it, but she was far too exhausted, and her head was still spinning with everything that had just happened. A nurse came over to take Astrid from them, but Krista bared her teeth and the nurse backed off. She would give them their time.

And they took all the time they needed. Baby Reiss was finally here.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> baby Astrid is going to have a major role in this fic, just fyi

It was entirely too easy in this modern era for people to capture and record videos and images. Because of that, almost all of what transpired after the accident ended up on the internet and various news channels. Not only were people freaking out in general because Krista had one, fought with someone enough to get badly wounded and covered in blood, but she had two, been in labour and three, carrying her unconscious wife. Half of the attention was good and the other half, bad. People were calling her a saviour and saying she was someone to look up to, but then the other side were saying that this proved that shifters were dangerous.

There was never any winning in situations like this.

“I understand the point,” Krista said. She rubbed her temple, willing the throbbing pain to go away. “But you must understand, there was nothing else for me to do.”

“You could have called an ambulance,” Arthur spat out. “Or stopped someone on the road to drive you!”

Once again Krista clenched her hands into fists and bit down on her tongue. Her teeth had grown out and if she got any angrier, they would cut into her mouth. “My phone was gone in the crash. I was in labour and high on adrenalin. The only option presented to me was to carry my mate to the hospital. I don’t care what some moronic humans think about my attempt to save my family.”

“Moronic? _Excuse_ me I—”

“That’s enough,” Erwin cut in. His eyes were stern. “Arthur, please step back from the situation and consider that what Mrs Reiss did was for her family. Their lives. The method she used to protect them is irrelevant. We simply have to focus on diverting some of that negative attention. There was unexpected backlash, and you’re not helping by adding to it.”

Krista was in a bad enough mood to send him a smirk, like Erwin was her parent scolding a kid that had been mean to her. In a sense, that’s what this felt like. The issue always boiled down to what the humans felt, what they thought, were they safe, what they didn’t like. When would they realize that the world did not belong to them only?

“My aim on this seat is to improve the lives of my people, and that includes the cynans.” Alyssa, who had remained coldly silently the entire time, gave a tiny nod in acknowledgement. “So what I want us to do is introduce laws and regulations, as well as rights, specifically for shifter kind. We need to feel safe. Since we can’t masquerade as humans anymore, no rights apply to us. My people are being slaughtered all over the country. This is a real problem.”

Erwin nodded his head. “Understood. I’ve already been in discussions, and a draft has been written. Our main issue is continual unrest. Until the masses can stop panicking, all we have left to do is head out in squads to protect all kinds and to stop crimes taking place. Shifters are rebelling too. It’s a problem on all fronts.”

Krista nodded. “That’s all I ask. Do we have any news from those radical groups?”

Lenora cleared her throat then, and sent them warm smiles. She always, somehow, managed to warm the atmosphere in the room with just a glance. “The Slayers have been doing public protests by walking through the streets,” she said. “Their cause seems to be growing as unease grows within the human community. On the other side, the Packs seem to be growing their numbers as well. My contacts have reported that many shifters are preparing to fight the humans.” Her eyes landed on Krista, softening. “I fear they wish to take this country. They want to eradicate all human life.”

“Just great,” Krista muttered. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Just what we need, right?”

“Krista, has your informant found anything useful?” Erwin asked.

She shook her head. “Alphard has managed to join the Packs, but she says they’re still very unorganized. She will report to me the second she gets any information we can use.”

He nodded his head, satisfied. “Then that will be all. We will gather again in a week’s time.”

They stood from their seats. Erwin was the first to stride purposefully out of the room, probably for some other important meeting. Alyssa seemed disinterested and merely left right behind him, but Arthur lingered for a second, studying her with surprisingly cold eyes. In all previous meetings, he had always been polite, but now all of that was gone. Was he showing his true colours? Krista expected him to say something to her, but he merely left quickly and didn’t look back. Krista stared at his back.

“Don’t mind him,” Lenora said. “He is under tremendous stress from his community. He was unjustly taking it out on you.”

Krista sent her a grateful smile. “If you weren’t at these meetings, we’d all be at each other’s throats a lot more than we are.”

Lenora’s smile turned mischievous. “A little calming magic does no harm.” She winked. Krista couldn’t help but shake her head and laugh in amusement. Lenora gave her a pat on the shoulder and left, leaving her alone for a second to gather her thoughts.

_Right,_ Krista thought, _time to shove this all out of my mind and return to my family._

It was the first meeting that Ymir wasn’t there waiting for her, and it made her mood dip slightly. She always felt relieved to have Ymir there, but until things settled and it was safer to take Astrid out, this was all they could do.

It was a week after the accident and Astrid’s birth. Krista had healed in an instant, so there was no reason to keep her in the hospital. Astrid had been fully healthy, too, so she got to leave with them right away. It was still a big adjustment with a new-born baby, but they were happily trying. This whole debacle had reminded the world that she existed, though, so the whole street was covered in cars when Krista returned home. They weren’t on her yard, but they were everywhere else. Curious humans, shifters come to congratulate them, reporters and the like. It made her headache pound harder.

Krista used her ability to feel the area before she got out of the car, and when she deduced that there was no immediate threat besides the paparazzi, she climbed out. She wouldn’t let another attack surprise her, and the next time someone tried, she would end them without hesitation. This wasn’t just about her anymore. Her baby was born. Astrid had, unfortunately, come at the worst time. People were still afraid, and she had no doubt that some of them were twisted enough to harm a baby so long as she was a shifter. Humans could be wicked, and she knew that shifters could be just as wicked too.

Before she reached the door, she was suddenly filled with nervous energy, and she turned in surprise to see Mikasa landing on the grass. She reeled in the wires of her equipment and straightened. She looked paler than usual, grave. Krista’s stomach dropped a little. _What now?_

“Hey, Krista,” Mikasa greeted, giving her a hug. “I’m sorry to drop in like this.”

Krista faked a smile. “It’s okay. Do the hunters need anything?”

Mikasa’s nervousness mounted. “Actually, I came on a personal matter.”

Krista blinked. “Oh.”

Astonishingly, Mikasa’s cheeks coloured. Krista’s muscled relaxed then, because there was no new danger. “What can I help with?”

“I wanted to ask a favour,” Mikasa said. “This whole situation has made this job a lot more dangerous. Hunters are dying every day. There are so many of us constantly injured, and that’s from both radical groups. So I’m asking if you would please, if the situation ever occurred, protect Annie for me.”

Krista tilted her head, a little perplexed. “Annie? Why?”

Mikasa looked away from her. “We got married recently,” she admitted softly. “We didn’t tell anyone. Just did it. With the way things are going, we were worried we’d never have the chance. And we… she’s…” She swallowed, but she smiled gently. “She’s pregnant. We got a druid to help us. We want to start a family, and though you’d argue now is the worst time, I think sooner rather than later is better.” She turned back to Krista and gave her an imploring look. “So please, will you protect her if you’re ever in the position to?”

Krista surprised her by pulling her down for a crushing hug. She momentarily forgot that Mikasa as only human and she a shifter, so when Mikasa grunted in pain she released her with a gasp. “That’s wonderful news!” She took Mikasa’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “And yes, I’d protect her with my life if it comes down to it. When were you going to tell me?”

Mikasa gave her a small, proud grin. “Now.”

Krista laughed. She was reminded of their years of friendship and her affection for Mikasa chased off her bad mood. “Would you like to come in? Meet Astrid? We wanted to wait a little longer, but since you’re here…”

Mikasa nodded immediately. “I’ve got to see baby Reiss before everyone else. Annie is going to be so mad.”

Krista rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. She opened the front door and invited Mikasa in. Ymir and Astrid were somewhere nearby, but their emotions didn’t spike so they were probably asleep. They found them in the lounge, Ymir spread out on the couch with Astrid on top of her chest underneath her shirt. Both were out cold.

“Oh my god, she’s so small,” Mikasa whispered.

Krista nodded. She bent down by them and reached out to touch Astrid’s cheek. The baby opened her eyes a second after, clearly still sleepy, but now awake. She didn’t cry or complain, but Krista felt her desperation to be picked up, so she delicately pulled her out from Ymir’s shirt and cradled her gently in her arms.

Who knew that a baby could have such extreme, complicated emotions? Krista was just so lucky to be able to feel all of it, otherwise she would never know what Astrid wanted. Maybe that was why she hardly cried—she simply reached out with her emotions instead, and got an instant response.

Krista walked over to Mikasa and presented Astrid like she was a prize. “Mikasa, meet my daughter, Astrid.”

Mikasa stepped closer and reached out to touch her tiny hand. “Hey there little one,” she greeted.

Astrid filled with happiness. Krista laughed softly and leaned down to kiss her fuzzy head. “She likes you,” she told Mikasa. “A lot.”

Mikasa laughed. “That’s good. I’m usually awkward with kids.”

Astrid reached out for Mikasa then, eager to be held by someone new and interesting. Mikasa hesitated, but Krista smiled and handed the baby over. She watched how Mikasa carefully held her, how Astrid pressed a tiny hand to Mikasa’s cheek and smiled.

Just a single week, and Astrid was already developing so fast. Krista wasn’t ready for her baby to grow up. What on earth was she going to do, when Astrid was ready to leave?

_That’s still years away,_ Ymir spoke into her head suddenly. _Calm down._

Krista gave Ymir a look. She was staring up at her with bleary eyes. “Good evening, Mrs Reiss,” she greeted teasingly.

Ymir rolled her eyes and sat up on the couch. She pulled Krista over and kissed her. “Hey you. Showing our kid off to people without me?”

“Hey Ymir,” Mikasa greeted.

“Hey Mikasa. So, what do you think of her? Made her myself.”

Krista slapped Ymir’s arm, but all she felt inside was a rush of love and affection. Astrid felt it, so she started laughing. Mikasa was quick to hand her back, eyes shining. “I definitely want one,” she said.

“Just remember that they poop none stop,” Ymir warned seriously. She took Astrid back and kissed her soundly on the cheek. “But I would definitely give them a 10/10 rating.”

“Ymir, do you have to talk about our daughter like she’s a product?” Krista grumbled.

Astrid fell asleep against Ymir’s shoulder. She was so tiny still, so new and little and her attention only stretched so far. Ymir snickered softly and took Krista’s hand in her own. “Why not? She’s a product of our love, isn’t she?”

Krista rolled her eyes, but she had to concede. “Still.”

“Thank you for letting me meet her,” Mikasa spoke up. “She’s really beautiful. I should get back to Annie now. And Krista, thank you.”

Krista nodded, smiling. “You’re welcome. I have yours and Annie’s back.”

Mikasa dipped her head, and then she left with a small wave over her shoulder. Ymir didn’t need to ask what was going on, Krista had already shared the memories. Instead Ymir pulled her down onto the couch and kissed her softly on the lips.

“Let’s sit here and stare at this adorable creature.”

Krista rested her head against Ymir’s shoulder, sighing. “Okay.”

And that’s what they did for a while, they just sat there and stared at Astrid, occasionally touching her pink cheek or taking a tiny hand. She slept through all of it, and the two of them couldn’t believe that somehow, they had made something so perfect.


End file.
